Lost with you
by Doc CB
Summary: AU HarukaXMichiru On flight 5816 from Tokyo to New York something goes wrong... and now, they're all Lost.
1. Prologue

**LOST WITH YOU**

by brada_m

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters. I really don't.

**Rating**: **M:** for language, violence and... to be on the safe side.

**Setting: AU**

**Author's note**: This crazy idea came to me as I watched the first couple of episodes of 'Lost', from which I borrowed the setting, while the characters are from Sailor Moon. I've taken some of the situations out of Lost to fit in my plot, and I hope no one will be bothered by it.

I have to say that I hate dub names. I watch my anime with Japanese audio and English subs ('cause I only know a few Japanese words and kanji), but I had to use some of them because I wanted the characters to be from different countries. I used English dub names because I thought they'd be familiar for a larger amount of readers.

_Italics_ are flashbacks.

**WARNING!**: Even if it doesn't look so at first, this is a Haruka and Michiru fic, so H&M fans, please be patient! Those who are not fond of this couple can find that more or less every character will be developed, but it mostly will be about Haruka and Michiru.

**WARNING 2!**: I'm not a great fan of Seiya, so, if you are one, please forgive me for fooling around with him.

**PROLOGUE**

* * * * * * * *

**Tokyo airport, ****9:26**** AM.**

The departures hall was full of people ready to leave Tokyo. Some going on business trips, some on a well deserved holiday, some going back home. Some of them were happy to leave, others quite the contrary. These were desperate or disappointed, while others just didn't care.

A blonde, young woman with a red ribbon in her long hair was giggling while talking with two handsome and slightly annoyed stewards. Not far from them, a short, old man in traditional Japanese clothes was ogling every pretty girl passing by.

In the big hall, every kind of drama took place every day. People would shed tears there, like the tall brunette with the ponytail as she looked out the wall-wide window at the front of the departures block.

It was also a place for hopes and fears, anxieties and relief. A middle-age woman with blue, shoulder-length hair and small glasses was pacing anxiously, twisting her fingers. She had never been keen on flying.

There were people who tried to stay unnoticed, like the two men in the far corner, one had his hands uncomfortably joined together on his belly and covered with a jacket while the other was showing him the gun hidden under his coat.

Someone else was trying to get attention, instead. That was the black-haired, little girl who was pulling her father's sleeve while the man with white hair and glasses mumbled something to himself insanely and took notes on a small note-book.

Some couldn't pass unnoticed and liked it that way, like the three well-dressed young men who were signing autographs and smiling for the small crowd of fans and reporters taking their pictures. With them was a beautiful aqua-haired woman signing just as many autographs while one of the three pop-idols circled her shoulders with his arm and had a smug smile on his face. She didn't seem interested in her adoring fans nor in her self-satisfied partner as she looked off in the distance, where something near the ticket office had got her attention.

Big rooms like this have their own chirp, like a buzz in the background, a melting-pot of voices and noises where every sound gets lost like that of the thick pair of glasses impacting with the ground. The spike-haired owner crouched to pick them up but was jostled by a blue-haired young woman who got there first. He managed an almost timid 'thank you' but that too faded, mingling in the air without being acknowledged.

What was audible even from a distance was the heated conversation taking place at the ticket office. A handsome, tall blond was arguing with a clerk, then suddenly changed strategy and wore a very charming smile, and immediately obtained whatever he was asking for by the blushing girl.

And in a crowded room there's always – _always_ – someone embarrassing oneself or those with them, like the loud blonde in her early twenties. She had two strange pigtails on her head and was eating ice-cream with such enthusiasm that her hands, mouth and cheeks were a sticky mess while her fiancée sweatdropped hoping no one looked their way.

And sometimes what some consider embarrassing others think of as just _cute._ So a grown-up man crouched on the ground, engrossed in a game with two little kids, was inspiring only tenderness in the heart of the beautiful black-haired girl wearing the traditional red and white miko clothes standing by.

What can't be missing in a modern airport hall, however, is technology. Every sort of device blinking, beeping, flashing. Ipods, cell phones, laptops conceal peoples' entire existence, their works, their passions, their feelings, their love. Nothing out of the ordinary then about the elegant, tanned woman in a business suit, with her laptop in front of her. A much more unusual view was the blond man reading an old-fashioned letter written in a nervous, black handwriting on creased, worn white paper.

All those people ignoring everything about each other, they could be - in a very near future – travel-mates. Although there was a brunette woman, with shoulder-length hair who had her traveling companion _within_ her, she ignored everything about him - or her - she only knew they were forever... so she thought, caressing her pregnant belly, knowing she would never have to feel lonely again.

Every kind of person, old and young, brilliant and plain, rich and poor, happy and sad. Everyone had their own story to tell, their secrets to hide, their life to live and their death waiting for them.

And every one of them had a flight to take.

* * * * * * * *

**Tokyo airport, 10.30 AM**

_"Attention please, last warning__**.**__**F**__light number 5186 to New York JFK is now boarding at gate number twenty-three..."_

"Serena! Hurry, we're gonna lose it," yelled a pretty, blonde girl with a big red ribbon in her very long hair.

"Sumimasen, I'm sorry for the inconvenience." An obviously embarrassed, tall, black-haired man said to the gate attendant in an unsure Japanese.

"PUFF! PANT! Mmhcomiiing! Umpharien, ...'ove, phis...GULP...Japanese...CHOMP... candy...mmh...are...CHOMP... pho goooood. GULP! Here I am, all ready to go home!" She said swallowing her mouthful of candy, then with a satisfied and disarming smile she took her boarding card from the hand of the embarrassed and puzzled attendant.

"I wish you a good flight back to New York..." The attendant said to the three Americans and sighed in relief, watching them disappearing into the boarding tunnel.

* * * * * * * *

**Flight 5186, 10.45 AM, economy class.**

The engine's roaring increased with each passing minute, the passengers having already buckled their belts. The flight was ready to take off.

"Calm down, Mom, it's going to be OK. There's nothing to be scared of. The odds this flight falls are very, very low, only 2%, you know," said the blue-haired girl to a very pale woman who sat next to her.

"Thank you, dear, now I'll be definitely OK, I'll just have to try not thinking about that 2%..." The woman said sarcastically, holding the armrests with a death grip, while her gaze never left the seat before her.

"Now you're being irrational, I flew several times during these past few years and the plane never crashed." The younger woman said nonchalantly, returning her eyes to the thick book on her lap.

The woman looked at her daughter, incredulous, "And sometimes you're _so rational_ that you don't make any sense, Ami-chan."

"God, how many hours are we gonna spend stuck in this seat? My feet will be the size of watermelons by the time we land!" Said a young, obviously pregnant woman in English.

"How many _hours_?!" Asked the already scared woman in a heavily accented, very worried English.

"Oh!" The brunette was taken aback by the woman's question, thinking they couldn't understand her, "Well 13, maybe 14."

"GULP!" Was the only sound the woman made, while her daughter sweatdropped, gaping at the girl at the other side of the narrow corridor.

"Actually, we'll land after a flight 12 hours long," a timid voice said from right behind the pregnant woman, but nobody seemed to acknowledge it.

"Hello, I'm Molly by the way, and I'm not alone as you can see." The brunette said as she reached out for a friendly handshake while her other hand pointed to her swollen belly.

"Dr. Mizuno Kimiko, nice to meet you." The blue haired woman shook the proffered hand. "And this is Mizuno Ami, my daughter," She said gesturing at the equally blue-haired, younger woman beside her.

"Nice to meet you, Molly-san." She said in a perfect American English.

Right behind them a young, shy man with thick, rounded glasses leaned back in his seat sighing at being ignored again.

A couple of rows up to the front the 'candy-lover' was clinging to her boyfriend's arm almost painfully, although he kept on smiling stoically.

"Oh, Darien, love, I'm so scared! If something happens, you'll save me, right?" She blinked dreamily, her light blue eyes sparkling.

Darien sweatdropped as he replied. "If the airplane falls down, I don't think there will be anything I can do about it, Meatball-head..."

"Whaaaaa! I don't want to crash down with this airplane! Whaaaaa!" Serena cried out, her eyes watering rapidly. In a moment, her cheeks were streaked by big tears, and almost everyone in their section was looking at them.

"Serena, love, there's no need to be so loud. I promise you I'll be here with you and I won't let anything happen to you. Is that ok?" He reassured her, squeezing her hand.

"Oh, stop it, Serena! You're not scared. As soon as we take off, you will be asleep drooling on Darien's shoulder, like you did flying to Tokyo," said the blonde girl sit at her other side.

"That's not true, Mina! You're mean. I was just tired, and I don't drool!" She turned towards her boyfriend for confirmation but the young man remained silent, blushing furiously. "Whaaaaaa!"

Darien circled his girlfriend's shoulder, trying to calm her again, while glaring at Mina disapprovingly.

Mina shrugged and turned to the boy who sat on the other side of the aisle, smiling apologetically. "She's not that way all the time... well, OK, she is but she's a good girl." And then she noticed the blond boy was definitely good-looking, with green eyes and freckles spread on his straight nose. "Hello, I'm Mina, nice to meet you."

"Hello, I'm Furuhata Motoki, and it's my pleasure." He said in a good English, smiling kindly.

'It'll be a nice journey...' She thought, smiling in return.

A few rows behind, a tall brunette was thinking the exact opposite. A fat, sweaty, gray-haired man had been talking endlessly to her since they had boarded. He was invading her personal space and she started to think it wasn't so involuntarily.

"...'cause business is like dealing with dogs... or chicks, you have to make clear who's in charge, and you have to do it from the start, otherwise you're screwed. I did that with these Japs and I closed my deal soon and neatly. There's no challenge for 'Big Harold' here!" He said to her... _chest_ while his hand slipped dangerously toward her thigh.

She grasped the aforementioned hand and replaced it on the armrest. Her patience was wearing off. Rapidly.

Fortunately, the take-off run started and he was forced still in his seat, but as soon as the plane was horizontal again, again he was onto her. And when he offered to help her with unbuckling her safety-belt and didn't wait for her answer she grabbed his hand and twisted it painfully.

"Ow! Ow! Hey! What are you doing!?" 'Big Harold' turned into 'Big Red Harold' and his face contorted in a grimace of pain.

"You know, I was thinking" she started, maintaining her grip on his hand, "If you – dirty, obtuse, perverted bastard - really are the important businessman you keep telling me you are, why aren't you in the business class? You loser! And, you know, next time you want to talk with me, you better look at my face!" She then let go of his hand, glaring menacingly at the dumbfounded man.

"Excuse me?" A slightly accented voice from her left got her attention. She turned still glaring, and when she realized who it was, her expression softened and she smiled reassuringly at the black haired girl on the other side of the aisle.

"Yes?"

"See, my _old_ grandfather would prefer sitting near the aisle and... you know, and me too, so I was wondering if you would be so kind to switch your seat with him?" The girl said winking knowingly at her.

"What?... Oh! Well... sure!" The brunette said, understanding what was going on.

"Thank you, you're very kind." The traditional clothed girl said, then in Japanese, "Grandpa! You hear that? This nice girl has agreed to let you have the seat you wanted." She had to elbow the already sleeping old man.

"What...!? Rei-chan what are you talking about?" The short, bald man asked sleepily, but his granddaughter was already standing, gesturing him to stand up. He just did what he was asked to do. Slightly confused he watched as a tall brunette took his former seat.

His granddaughter leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Thank you grandpa, you're a real gentleman."

Still not understanding what had just happened, he concluded that he wasn't able to understand young people anymore and just took his place in the opposite row, where the busty brunette had been before. His short and generally little frame let him not be bothered by Harold's encumbrance and in a few seconds he was asleep again.

"Thank you! You're my savior...?"

"Hino Rei, and you're welcome." The black-haired girl said.

"Hi, I'm Lita. But your grandfather won't...?"

"Oh, don't worry," she pointed at him. "See? He's already asleep and he's absolutely capable of staying that way all the way to New York."

Lita turned and just shrugged, happy about her luck, "Thank you again, then."

"Hi, I'm Kumada Yuiichiro, nice to meet you, Lita-san." A young, dark-haired man said in a rather bad English accent, bowing his head to her from Rei's other side.

"Hi!" She waved back to him, smiling.

* * * * * * * *

"Now don't make any trouble, asshole. I'm gonna take a nap." A man with gray-streaked hair said as he took a travel-pillow and placed it behind his head trying to gain a comfortable position.

"And how do you think I can escape? I'm not Houdini." The long haired man sitting beside him said**,** annoyed**,** lifting his left hand and doing so dragging the hand he was cuffed to along, just to make a point.

"You can never know**,**" **s**aid the other**,** pulling back. "And I meant not to pull with your hand, by the way. Just sit tight." The other answered**,** closing his eyes.

His companion glared at him and leaned back on his seat**,** resigned.

* * * * * * * *

**Boarding tunnel - Flight 5186, first class, 10.20 AM.**

"I could have used another couple of days at home. It was really rude of Shineda-san, making us move so suddenly, don't you think Michiru-san?" A young man in a very stylish, pale green suit said.

"Well, I don't care where or when I go if I'm in your adorable company, Michiru-chan." Another young man with black curly hair and a very long pony-tail pointed out to the beautiful woman that was walking beside him, winking.

"You'll like New York, Yaten, all those boutiques... And you Seiya, stop being a moron, Michiru-san doesn't need to hear such nonsense." A third, very tall man with the same ridiculously long pony-tail said, "Uh, Michiru-san, are you OK?" He asked when he realized that the young, aqua-haired woman wasn't paying attention to him or any of his brothers.

In fact, Michiru was staring intently ahead, completely oblivious of her three friends. She was looking at the plane entrance where a tall blond stood by the stewardesses, writing something. Michiru didn't know what had gotten her attention exactly but there was something out of the ordinary about that person. He was the same man she had observed before in the hall, arguing at the booking-office. He wore khakis, a white dress shirt and sailing shoes. He had a black, little suitcase and when he turned to make his way into the plane, she had a shot of sunglasses and a intriguing profile.

"Michiru-san?"

"What?! Oh, gomen, Taiki-san, I think I got distracted." She said, waving back her aqua strands in a sexy yet disarming way. "What were you saying?"

"Oh my! So it's true!" An excited voice came from the plane as they approached, involuntarily receiving their attention.

"The Threelights! And that's Kaioh Michiru-sama!" A hostess exclaimed, barely containing herself. "This is our lucky day, first Tenoh-sama and now... This job is worth it, after all!"

That was how the two flight-attendants greeted them at first but then they put on a much more professional demeanor, "Welcome aboard. Please, enjoy your journey on our plane." But she had such a huge smile you'd think it might hurt.

"It's a real pleasure to have you on board," said the other, obviously excited. She held a piece of paper in her hand and handed it shyly to Seiya with dreamy eyes. "Can I... ehm... can I have an autograph, please?"

The young man smiled charmingly at her, took the handed piece of paper and signed it with the pen Taiki held out for him.

"Me too, please?" The other hostess said, handing Michiru another sheet of paper. "I'm a great fan of you." She smiled, blushing, her eyes cast down timidly.

"Of course," Michiru took the offered paper and pen, "What's your name?" She asked the girl sweetly.

"I-It's Saito Yumi."

"Yumi is a very cute name." She said signing a dedication on the paper.

"Th-Thank you, you're so nice." The girl answered, blushing even more, "Elegant, talented and so nice..." These last words weren't intended to be heard and when she realized she had spoken out loud, she buried her face in her hands in embarrassment.

Michiru didn't blush, however, because she rarely did that, but was very pleased about the sincerity and naiveté of the young attendant. She envied those things sometimes.

With a last look at the girls, Michiru walked down the aisle to take her seat ahead of her friends, still signing autographs.

When she reached her assigned seat, she picked up her Luis Vuitton beauty-case to put it in the baggage-box above, but the weight was suddenly lifted from her hands.

"Oh," She was surprised.

"May I help you?" An incredibly husky voice came from behind her. When Michiru turned around she found herself face to face - or rather 'face to chest' - with the mysterious blond. And chest it was indeed!

'Well, now I know what the ambiguity I sensed before was about,' Michiru thought when she realized that that chest was way softer than a man's chest was supposed to be.

"Arigato," She said smiling up at the tall blonde who was still stretched up.

"It's been my pleasure," The blonde replied. She smiled and Michiru couldn't help but think how charming that smile was. She had to keep herself from blushing and giggling like a school-girl with a crush.

'Well, that was something! It's been so long since I felt this way...'

"Michiru-chan, is everything alright?" Seiya was right behind her and glaring at the blonde from over Michiru's shoulder. He circled her waist with his arm and she was suddenly annoyed by his presence.

"Of course," was her cold reply, then softening her voice she addressed the blonde, "Thank you again, I'm Kaioh Michiru. It was very kind of you...?" She lent her hand to the blonde who took it and instead of shaking it bowed down and brushed her lips against the back of it.

"Enchanted, Kaioh-san. I'm Tenoh Haruka."

"It's my pleasure, Tenoh-san." She bowed.

"Ehm..." Seiya cleared his throat, he was getting upset at the blonde's boldness. He knew who she was, had seen her on the cover of some magazines, and he didn't like it, not at all. "We better take our seats, we could be in the way." And he pulled Michiru back to where Yaten and Taiki were.

"Good bye," Michiru managed to say to the blonde before she was pulled away.

"Good bye," Was the whispered reply.

* * * * * * * *

**Flight 5186, 25.000 feet of altitude, 01.43 PM, first class.**

'Beautiful...' That had been the only word on her mind for the past three hours.

"Beautiful!"

Haruka snapped out of her reverie. Someone had voiced out her thoughts. She turned to her left where the voice had come from. There was a little girl, six or seven years old, stretching up and trying to take a look out of the small window. They were above a big bank of clouds and the sun was shining brightly on the soft, white surface. The black haired girl was looking in awe at those fluffy shapes bathed in the morning sun.

"It looks like whipped-cream!" She was stretching up trying to look past the white-haired man sitting next to her. He was leaning forward writing on a note-book and mumbling from time to time. The little girl never said anything to him and he seemed not to notice her.

'Or _care_,' Haruka thought bitterly.

"Hey, you can look this way, it's just as beautiful." She said leaning back so the short kid could have a view of her window.

"Oh, arigato."

The girl had purple eyes that shone in the sun, her black hair ended just above her shoulders and framed her very pale and pretty features. An amazed smile added brightness to her face.

Haruka found herself smiling in return, there was something endearing about that kid, maybe it was the sweet smile or those big eyes but Haruka found herself wondering how, what she presumed was her father, could be engrossed in anything other than that lovely child.

"It looks like snow, too, doesn't it?"

"Well, yes. And I guess it would be as wet and cold as snow is," Haruka commented and soon the little girl's eyes shifted from the window to her.

"Really?" she asked, incredulous, her eyes growing bigger with curiosity.

"Mhh... I think it is, I never touched a cloud, actually." Haruka answered, suddenly feeling self conscious under the young girl's serious look.

"I've never touched the snow, either. I'm not allowed to go out when it's snowing." The girl said, and Haruka had a glimpse of sadness so out of place in those eyes that were just too young.

While Haruka was still thinking, the little girl gasped and turned, looking behind them.

"That strange woman is watching you." She commented.

"Who?" Haruka leaned up to look over the headrest of her large first-class seat. In the distance there was a woman with long, dark green hair, a tanned, beautiful face and piercing garnet eyes. Their look met for a moment before the plane had a vigorous shrug and Haruka was thrown back in her seat.

"Whoa!" She said. The little girl looked a little bit scared. "Don't worry, it's normal, just a turbulence." She smiled reassuringly.

After a couple of minutes, the plane shook again harder. The frame started to tremble and they heard a 'ding', then the 'belt sign' went on.

_"Ladies and gentlemen, we're going through some rough air space and will be experiencing a few minutes of turbulence. Please return to your seats and fasten your seat-belts. "_The speaker above their head said.

Haruka looked surprised at the seemingly unaware man beside the little girl, then leaned toward her to help her fasten her seat-belt.

"All right, now sit tight, Hime-chan, it will be alright." She hurriedly fastened her own belt.

The stewardesses walked along the aisle making sure everybody was sitting with their belts fastened.

"Excuse me, sir. You have to close your writing-table and fasten your seat-belt, please." A young attendant with brown pigtails said to the white-haired man. He seemed to stop for an instant but never looked at her, then he just mumbled and kept on scribbling nervously.

"Sir, please. We are in turbulence," She said stumbling to maintain her equilibrium while the plane shook again.

"Papa? Please, you have to close that and fasten your belt." The little girl said softly but firmly and suddenly she seemed way, way older than she looked. She put her hand on her father's and managed to close the table, then she took the belt ends and held them to him. He finally seemed to acknowledge her, took the belt and fastened it. The only one eye that could be seen behind his thick and strange glasses looked blankly into space. A shiver ran down Haruka's spine at the view.

Suddenly, the plane hit some rougher turbulence and the people who hadn't fastened their belts were thrown out of their seats, hitting the ceiling. Screams and loud 'thuds' could be heard, objects fell from luggage-boxes, and someone began whining in pain, others in panic. The turbulence continued and the alarms blared, then the overhead oxygen masks fell from their compartments.

Haruka took her mask and breathed deeply. When she turned to the little girl to make sure she wasn't too scared she realized the mask was too high for her to reach it and her father was still staring into space, apparently unaware of what was going on around him.

The blonde leaned out to help the little girl but her belt held her in place preventing her from grabbing the elusive mask. She looked at the terrified girl and decided to unfasten her belt to help her, but when she was about to do it she heard a loud groan of metal and a screech. Then the loud rumble of air entering the plane was accompanied by the intense sensation of being sucked back. She looked powerless at the little girl screaming though she could only see her open mouth, because any sound was engulfed by the horrible roaring from the hind part of the plane.

Haruka saw a man flying to the back of the plane, she lowered her head hiding it behind the seat in front of her to prevent herself from being hit by flying objects. Then a flash passed through her mind and she found herself raising her head again, looking a few rows ahead. The last thing she saw was a glimpse of aqua hair waving behind a headrest.

End Prologue.

To be continued...

Many thanks to my beta reader: **T-R-Us**


	2. When you fall, I will catch you

**LOST WITH YOU**

by brada_m

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters. I really don't.

**Rating**: **M** for language, violence and... to be on the safe side anyway.

**Setting**: **AU**

**CHAPTER 1**

**- WHEN YOU FALL I WILL CATCH YOU -**

* * * * * * * *

Haruka opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times before taking in the view of green leaves above her.

'What the..?' She thought, trying to stand but she gasped in pain, her shoulder hurt like hell.

'What the fuck!' She realized she was hurting everywhere, and with great effort and a lot of grunts, she managed to stand, stumbling a little as she tried to get a look around. She was surrounded by trees and that was quite odd because she was supposed to be on a plane...

Then she remembered.

Her breathing increased as she turned around in every direction, making her head spin. More green, more leaves. She tried to calm herself and concentrate on her surroundings.

When the sound of her own heartbeat subsided, she was able to perceive a noise from her left. She walked in that direction and soon she was out of the woods and on a white sanded beach. She stopped for a moment, as a young blonde woman with strange pigtails passed before her, running, she had tear-streaked cheeks and was screaming furiously. Haruka was still dizzy and couldn't understand what the girl was yelling but decided to follow her anyway. When she was completely out of the shelter of the trees the scene before her eyes took her breath away for a moment.

Only a dozen of feet away there was the middle section of the plane. There was a long breach running all along the side and flames enveloped one of the ends. People were running back and forth amid fragments of the airframe, clothes and corpses. Haruka snapped out of her dazed state and ran to the cabin. She passed by the pigtailed girl who was hugging a dark haired man, crying loudly.

When she was near the cabin, she stopped and turned to look around, searching for something but she didn't find it so she kept running in a frenzy. She passed by two men carrying a pregnant woman away from the giant burning wing. When she finally was by the big gash on the side of the airframe, she looked inside, coughing because of the smoke.

"She's still in there," A voice behind her made her turn around. There stood the strange tanned woman who had been sitting in the back of the first class before the crash-down. "Go ahead, we need to pull her out."

Haruka had the disturbing feeling that strange woman could read her thoughts. Did she really know who she was searching for? But she had no time for conjectures, she stooped and entered the cabin.

* * * * * * * *

She had found herself face down, still fastened to her seat and someone was calling her name. When she managed to turn around, she saw Taiki staring at her with dark stripes of dirt on his face and concern in his eyes. Still confused, she felt hands fumbling at her waist and when her belt was unfastened she fell into strong arms.

"Are you OK, Michiru-chan?" Seiya's soft question had the power of removing her from her dazed state. She pondered the situation. She wasn't hurting too bad and she was alive.

"Yes, I'm OK, thank you." She answered smiling to reassure her friends.

Taiki and Seiya were carrying an unconscious Yaten out, but instead of following them, she looked around. A lot of seats were vacant but some of them were still occupied by unconscious people. She looked more closely and gasped when she realized that they weren't just unconscious.

Suddenly, the reality of what had happened took over her and she stumbled as her knees gave out. She took a moment to recompose herself and started checking every person's pulse looking for someone still alive. No one was and she felt tears pooling at the corner of her eyes.

"Oh Gods..." She approached a little girl who could have been no more than nine. She reached out for the girl's neck, her hand trembling. When she touched the still warm flesh, the girl opened her eyes quickly.

Michiru jumped back, surprised but also relieved. She caressed the little girl's cheek smiling. The girl stared at her, terrified, then asked in a small voice, "Are you an angel?"

Michiru chuckled at the kid's question and with a soft smile she replied, "No, dear, I'm afraid I'm not. Are you hurt?" She searched the still sitting little body for any blood, but there wasn't any though her legs were stuck between her seat and a big piece of the fuselage.

The little girl seemed to think deeply before answering, "No, I don't think so." She shifted uncomfortable in her sit and winced.

"Do your legs hurt?" The aqua-haired woman asked again.

"Mmh... a little, I can't move them." The girl said pouting.

"I see, lets move this thing so you can slip out, OK?" Michiru tried to lift the fragment that was blocking the child's legs but she managed only a couple of inches. After several attempts of unsuccessful pulling, she had to let go, exhausted.

"Did I hurt you?" She quickly asked, worried.

"No." The kid said, smiling at her in reassurance.

"We have to think of a way…" Michiru mumbled looking around for something to use as a lever.

"Hime-chan! Hime-chan... Oh God, are you alright?"

When Michiru turned, she saw the blonde woman who had helped her with her luggage caressing the little girl's face, eyes full of concern. The girl smiled up at the blonde, visibly happy to see her.

"Her legs are stuck, and that thing is too heavy." Michiru pointed to the metal fragment.

Haruka leaned in to take a closer look at the metal sheet.

"Well, let me try." She said and took a firm grip on the metal sheet and tried to lift it, it quickly moved three or four inches, then she let go of it panting. "Ok, I can do it. Kaioh-san, when you have enough room, please pull Hime-chan out of there." She leaned again and took the metal sheet with both her hands.

"Are you ready Hime-chan? We're going to take you out." The tall blonde gritted her teeth and pulled. She winced as blinding pain passed through her left shoulder, but she didn't let go.

Soon Michiru had enough room to pull the little girl out of her seat and Haruka finally let go of the piece of metal with a loud screech.

The blonde leaned back, panting, her eyes closed, waiting for the pain in her shoulder to subside. She opened them as she felt two tiny arms encircling her neck.

Michiru took in the tender view of the little girl hugging the tall, exhausted and wincing woman.

Haruka stood holding the child tight against her chest. When she was up, the little girl's gaze went down to her seat.

"Papa..." She murmured. Both Haruka and Michiru followed the kid's look and they saw a man's hand turned upward peeping out from under a pile of rubble.

The blonde turned around immediately and walked fast along the cabin afraid to let the kid see that.

"Let us take you out of here, Hime-chan, then I'll return for your papa." She said, exchanging a worried look with Michiru.

* * * * * * * *

"Lay him here!... Careful! Careful!" The blue-haired woman warned the two men as they deposited an unconscious person on the ground. She kneeled beside him and immediately checked his pulse, then she made a rapid tour of his body, searching for evident injures. When she found nothing, she turned to the two men watching her nervously and waiting for a response.

"He's not injured, just unconscious. Wait for him to wake and lay him on his side in case he throws up." They nodded and watched her go and check on some other victim.

"Hey! This guy is bleeding like a fountain!" Someone yelled.

Dr. Mizuno turned and ran in that direction ,passing by a man who was walking slowly rubbing his wrist and wincing. A blond young man waved at the doctor, he was kneeling next to a male laying on the sand who had a large gash on his leg and was bleeding copiously. She took a close look at the wound then tried to clamp it by pressing vigorously with both her hands.

"Ami-chan! Come here!" She yelled. Her daughter came running. She stopped with her hand on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

"We need a tourniquet for this leg." Dr. Mizuno said, her hands already covered in the man's blood.

Ami took off immediately, she spotted two men in elegant suits kneeling by someone who was unconscious.

"Excuse me, can I have your tie?" She asked, bowing to the one with the red suit and curly hair. He looked up at her uncertainly at first, then he understood and quickly untied his fancy yellow tie and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She bowed again and fled off to her mother.

"Someone!! Help!!!" A young woman yelled from her left, Ami looked in her direction and had a quick glimpse of a pregnant woman panting holding her abdomen while a black haired girl tried to support her. She tossed the tie to her mother and told her about the pregnant woman.

"I'll get her. Try to stop the bleeding in the meantime." The older woman said, then ran off. Ami looked down at the bleeding wound and tied the tie very tightly a good three inches above the gash. Soon the blood flow decreased and then it ceased. The young man watching was in awe.

"Wow! You're awesome!" He exclaimed.

Ami blushed and lowered her head, shyly. "Maintain some pressure on the wound, I'll be right back."

She wasn't awesome, she knew that. She wasn't even all that good, Ami thought, looking at her mother who was attending the pregnant girl.

* * * * * * * *

"There. That blue-haired woman down there, she seems to be a doctor." The long haired man in traditional Japanese clothes said while helping an older, bald man to stand.

"Arigato." Michiru said, following the fast running Haruka who had the black haired little girl in her arms.

When they reached the supposed doctor, the woman was helping a pregnant brunette, obviously in panic, to breathe regularly, trying to calm her down with soothing words. She turned and saw the little girl curled in Haruka's arms and was immediately at their side.

"I don't think she's hurt but we better be sure." Michiru said. Dr. Mizuno gestured Haruka to lay the girl down, when the blonde did it, Michiru noticed she winced. The aqua-haired woman looked at her worriedly but soon their attention was on the little girl.

"Papa..." She said softly while the doctor checked on her. She looked at Haruka, pleading.

"I'll get him out of there, Hime-chan." Haruka said reassuringly. She turned and set out to the the cabin.

"Tenoh-san!" Michiru ran after her. "It's dangerous to go in there again!" She looked to the burning and cracking fuselage. "It could collapse at any moment!"

"Then I'll have to hurry. I promised her." The blonde keeping on walking.

"Haruka-san..." Michiru said not realizing the familiarity she had addressed that practically stranger with. Haruka for her part was already too far to hear that.

* * * * * * * *

Walking towards the air-frame, Haruka looked around searching for someone who could help her. She spotted a dark-haired man, he was with the pigtailed girl she had seen before. She ran up to them.

"Hey, I need help!" She said in English, "I'm going to look for someone still alive in there." She pointed to the air-frame. The younger girl looked frightened. "I know, it's dangerous, people keep telling me, but I need to give it a try."

"I'm with you." The man who was not much older than her said and leaned down, kissing the scared girl lightly.

"Darien! Take care! Please!" She said, her eyes watering.

"Don't worry, Serena, I'll be back soon." And then he followed Haruka, who was already running.

The two entered the cabin and looked around checking on everyone's pulse.

"Hey...?" Darien called the blonde.

"What?"

"Look at this!" He pointed to a corpse.

"Is he dead?" She asked, "It's Haruka, by the way... You're Darien, right?"

"What?... Oh, Haruka. Yes, yes, I'm Darien." He said, shaking her hand. Then he pointed at the body's wrist. "He's dead, but it seems like someone else is not."

Haruka looked down, the corpse had a hand cuffed while the other end was unlocked. She decided to search for the man's documents and found a marshal badge in his coat's pocket.

"Great, it seems like he was the good guy..." She said bitterly looking at Darien, preoccupied. "We'll deal with that later, come on." He gestured her to go back to their searching.

Haruka went straight to the little girl's father's seat while Darien checked on the others' pulses. She lifted all the rubble under which the man was with great effort and pain. When she reached him, he was a bloody pulp. He had a big gash on his head, his shirt was covered in blood and one arm was bent at an unnatural angle. His weird glasses were smashed and some shreds had penetrated his face. She contemplated the macabre view for a minute, then she took a hold of the body.

"Emh, I think it's too late for him, Haruka." Darien said from behind her.

"I know..." she paused, panting, "...but... argh!...I made a promise... ungh... and I don't break my promises. So less watching and more helping, pal." She said between sharp intakes of air. Darien moved and together they managed to pull the body out of its seat but fell on the floor in the process. They sat for a minute, trying to catch their breath.

"Hey, is anybody in there?" A female voice yelled in English. "The wing is about to fall! If there's anybody in there, they'd better hurry!"

Haruka and Darien looked at each other and stood, lifting the heavy body that now was coughing softly.

'Wait... coughing? Corpses aren't supposed to cough...'

"Oh Kami-sama, he's alive!" Haruka exclaimed in Japanese, looking at the man in her arms. Darien looked at her questioningly. "He's alive!" She repeated in English.

The dark-haired man looked down, surprised. They hurried down the aisle, half dragging, half carrying him.

When they reached the exit, a young, strongly built brunette was waiting for them and helped them so that they could ran away before the huge wing of the plane fell down on the fuselage loudly.

* * * * * * * *

CRASH!

Everyone turned at the horrible noise of metal cracking and smashing.

"DARIEN!" Serena yelled and started to run towards the wreckage but was stopped by a firm grip on her arm.

"No, Serena! It's dangerous, there could be an explosion or something." Mina said, holding her struggling friend.

"Let me go! Darien's in there!" She cried, tears falling down her cheeks. Mina didn't reply, just held Serena even tighter, hugging her while she sobbed.

A few steps away, an equally distressed Michiru stood but she didn't manifest her inner turmoil. She just stood there holding her breath, looking in the distance to the crashed airframe. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned around and met a serious pair of garnet eyes.

"You have to trust her, she gave her word." She had met the woman only a few minutes ago, she was beautifully exotic, with tanned skin and long green hair, she was kind and calm and was circled by a mysterious aura.

"I know, Setsuna-san." Michiru said softly despite her heart was pounding in her chest. She didn't even notice that the other woman's comment was creepily insightful.

"Hey, there's someone walking this way!" A young man with very thick glasses yelled, his arm stretched, his finger pointing ahead. Even if he had spoken in Japanese his gesture was unmistakable and even Serena looked up. When she spotted three - or were there four? - figures walking their way she collapsed in Mina's arms, sobbing even more, but this time they were happy tears.

Mina rolled her eyes but held her best-friend tight as a large relieved smile graced her face.

Michiru felt the hand on her shoulder squeezing knowingly just before it was gone. She turned to the woman behind her and was greeted by an enigmatic smile.

Some of the observers ran towards the approaching group to help them take the injured man to the doctor.

"Papa!" Hotaru ran too, wanting to see her father but was intercepted midway by Haruka who scooped her up with one arm.

"Hime-chan, it's better if you let the doctor take care of him." The blonde didn't want the little girl to see her father in that condition, "You'll see him later, OK?" She asked, though never gave the kid a choice, she just walked away towards Michiru and the tanned woman that was with her.

When the blonde reached them, Hotaru was struggling furiously in her arms. Michiru frowned as she noticed Haruka wincing every time the girl hit her with her little fists and even then the blonde didn't let go.

"Hotaru-chan, come here with me. You have to be a good girl and let the doctor do her job." She said taking the little girl from Haruka's arm. She saw the blonde sighing in relief.

"Hotaru... So that's your name, Hime-chan." Haruka said, smiling.

"Yes, I'm Tomoe Hotaru. And what's your name?" The child asked.

"I'm Tenoh Haruka. Nice to meet you, Hotaru-chan." The blond winked grinning.

"Thank you for saving me and my papa, Tenoh-san." Hotaru bowed politely, suddenly looking older. She disentangled herself from Michiru's arms and hurled herself at the blonde hugging her tightly.

"Ow!" Haruka grimaced, her face suddenly pale. "Easy, Hime-chan!"

"Setsuna-mama said you were going to take your word, and bring my papa back!" Haruka looked questioningly at Michiru who pointed to the tanned woman beside them.

"Thank you for the trust," Haruka said to the mysterious woman, a little puzzled.

'Setsuna-...mama?!'

"You're welcome, Haruka-san." Setsuna replied with a sparkling in her strange, garnet eyes.

In the meantime, Michiru stood and left them without a word. She walked down to the others and returned after a moment with the short-haired doctor's daughter. She pointed at Haruka and the younger girl nodded.

Haruka watched them questioningly, even more confused as the blue-haired girl got closer and closer to her.

"Excuse me?" The blonde asked, glancing suspiciously at the approaching girl.

"You're hurt." Michiru stated, matter of factly. "Left arm?" Haruka looked at her, surprised.

"I'm afraid you'll have to take your shirt off, Tenoh-san." Ami said, withdrawing to give her some room.

Haruka glared at Michiru but did as she was said. She fumbled with the buttons of her white shirt, one-handed. After a few minutes, she gave a frustrated sigh.

"Here, let me help," Michiru said and leaned down, unbuttoning the blonde's shirt gently.

"T-Thank you..." Haruka mumbled and blushed slightly, suddenly aware of the aqua-haired woman's vicinity.

"Here you go," Michiru was finally able to slip the shirt down the blonde's shoulders, "Kami-sama!" she gasped when Haruka's left shoulder was revealed. From her tank top poked out a weird bulge surrounded by a large bruise.

"I'm afraid that's a dislocation," Ami said calmly, "We have to reduce it, before the ligaments are damaged permanently." She said and got dangerously closer to Haruka.

"Hey! Hey wait a moment, isn't your mother the doctor?" The blonde said frowning.

"Ami-san is a doctor too, aren't you?" Michiru said.

"Mmh... yes, ehm... _almost_." Haruka's shot her a worried look, "I mean, _technically_ I'm not a doctor _yet_." She explained, "Actually I was going to my graduation." She lowered her head self-consciously.

"Ok then," Haruka nodded.

"Michiru-san I need you to hold her in place while I reduce it." Haruka looked at Ami again, worried.

"Hold me in place, wh...?" Ami was already taking a hold of her wrist with one hand and placing the other under her armpit. "At the count of three, I'm going to pull." She explained, Haruka didn't like the sound of that, her shoulder hurt badly, but eventually, she nodded at the blue-haired girl who begun counting.

"One... tw-."

"ARGH!"

Ami had pulled early to prevent Haruka from tensing too much. The shoulder came back in its socket smoothly, even though Haruka had pain filled eyes and Michiru had had a hard time holding her still.

After a couple of minutes, Michiru handed Haruka a sling made with a handkerchief.

"Thank you." The blonde said.

"You're welcome. How are you? Does it still hurt?"

"Nah, it's OK," Haruka said dismissively, but her face was still pale and her eyes pain-filled.

"You're a very bad liar, Tenoh-san." Michiru chuckled.

"Am not!" She protested in fake indignation, then smiled "Call me Haruka, please."

"You're a very bad liar, Haruka-san." Michiru repeated, smiling back. Her blue eyes locked with the blonde's teal ones until an anxious voice broke the moment.

"Michiru-chan! Thank Kami you're alright." Seiya approached them and embraced a surprised Michiru tightly. "Yaten-chan has been unconscious for two hours, I was so worried!"

"Is he alright?" Michiru asked, truly concerned.

"Yes, he is, but it's been awful. Come on, he'll be glad to see you." He said and literally dragged her away, eying Haruka grimly. She shot an icy cold look back at him and watched them leave, Michiru's hair waving in the light marine breeze.

To be continued...

Many thanks to my beta reader: **T-R-Us**


	3. Don't lie to me

**CHAPTER 2**

**- DON'T LIE TO ME -**

**RATING: M**

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own these characters... obviously.

**WARNING : **Adult themes, violence, language and some minor gore. You've been warned.

* * * * * * * *

**Tokyo airport, 9.24 AM, that same day.**

_"__Mina, are you sure this delay won't be a problem? I know you're probably very busy with rehearsal and all. I still can't believe it... my best friend in an Off Broadway musical!" Serena exclaimed, barely restraining her excitement, even though that was at least the thousandth time she had said it.__ "But I'm sure when__ you become a __famous actress they'll never make mistakes with your __reservations__!" She smile__d, __winking at her friend._

_Mina's face seemed to darken for a moment but soon she smiled back at her friend, __"Well, of course not! They'll ask me for autographs and will offer me champagne on the plane." She said, m__aking the 'V' sign._

_"Definitely! I'm __really sorry I won't be able to watch you perform..." Serena said sadly._

_"Come on, don't be sorry! You'll have a brand new life in Japan and soon you won't even remember your old friends from__ the US!" Mina winked at her friend._

_"Oh, that'll never happen, and you know it! You'll be the one to forget us when you become a movie star!" __The pigtailed girl __giggled__. After a little pause she smiled broadly. "Let's go get some ice-cream, I'm hungry!"_

_"Seren__a,__ we've had breakfast __only a __half hour ago." Mina __clucked,__ shaking her head._

_"I know, but airports make me hungry, you know." Her friend __moaned__as she made her way to the cafeteria._

_"Go ahead with Darien,__I'll come in a moment." __Mina pointed __at two handsome stewards approaching._

_"Oh... of course. See you later then." She concluded__, with a knowing wink and w__alked away to her dark-haired boyfriend._

_With a large smile covering her troubled face, Mina made her way toward the two young men hiding her troubled face._

* * * * * * * *

**Unknown place, present.**

A couple of hours had passed since the falling wing had crashed into the cabin. The survivors were trying to deal with what had just happened, everyone in their personal way.

"Hi, I'm Umino. I was sitting behind you on the plane." The young man with thick glasses offered his right hand to the pregnant woman pointing towards the wreckage with his left. His English was heavily accented, but decent. Molly looked up at him smiling.

"Hi, Umino. I'm Molly, and this..." she cooed, caressing her swollen belly, "...is Alex,"

"Oh, he's going to be a boy?" He questioned, looking fascinated at her stomach.

"Oh, I don't know yet. It could be _Alexandra_ or _Alexander_," she said giggling.

He looked at her confused for a moment and then he understood. Blushing, he scratched at the back of his head in embarrassment. The girl laughed and patted the sand beside her, inviting him to take a seat.

A few feet away a makeshift tent had been built with some sticks and towels to offer shelter for the injured. Dr. Mizuno and Ami had taken refuge there to rest. They had attended to all the people they could, with the unexpected help of Rei's grandfather. The Shinto priest had a couple of medical rudiments and an enviable practical sense, both things being extremely useful in the situation.

At the same time Rei was trying to convince Yuiichiro she was alright, but wasn't having any success.

"Don't make such a fuss, baka! I told you I'm OK!" She bellowed in exasperation.

"But Rei-chan..." the young man tried to dissent for the umpteenth time, but was cut off.

"Enough! I won't tolerate another word from you, Kumada-san!" She addressed him with deliberate detachment and the lack of familiarity didn't pass unnoticed.

"Please accept my apologies, Rei-san, I-I'll go now... see if I can help." He whispered and stood up. She looked at him and realized she had overreacted. Her expression softened. "Yuiichiro-kun..." she murmured, but he was already gone.

In a secluded spot under a tree, Furuhata sat fumbling with a sheet of paper. When he managed to unfold it, though, he didn't look at it; he just stared into space instead.

"I'll be a little late, onee-chan..." He murmured into the light breeze.

Near the wreckage, Lita was walking amid corpses, metal fragments and every sort of discarded object. She looked around, taking in the desolate scenery before her. When she looked up she saw a flash of metal where a long-haired man stood smoking a cigarette, their eyes locking for a long moment until he winked at her and turned away.

Not too far away, the three Kou brothers and Michiru had found shelter from the hot sun under a big fragment of the plane.

"I can't believe I passed out and I don't even have a bump!" Yaten complained, searching his head for any sign of a concussion.

"You better search your pants...I think you passed out from fright!" Seiya teased, elbowing his younger brother.

"Seiya!!!" Taiki scolded, "Not in front of a lady!"

"Don't worry, Taiki-san, I think I'm beyond shock today." Michiru said, looking at the wreckage in the distance.

"Gomen ne, Michiru-chan, I've forgot my manners." Seiya apologized. He looked at her searching for a smile at their jokes but she never looked back at him, not even as she stood and walked away to the other survivors.

"I'm gonna check on Hotaru-chan." She said and was gone, much to Seiya's surprise.

Haruka was sitting under a tree with Hotaru asleep in her lap, her gaze lost on the horizon.

"Hey, how are you?" Michiru whispered, not wanting to wake the exhausted child. "Both of you..."

"She's asleep," was the curt reply.

"I can see that..." Michiru commented as she sat down beside them. "How's your shoulder?"

Haruka finally turned, looking at her.

"Oh, it's fine. It'll be as good as new in no time." She gave the aqua-haired beauty a small smile.

"I see..." Michiru murmured looking at the sleeping child, and then they sat in silence, Haruka looking out at the horizon and Michiru caressing Hotaru's head.

* * * * * * * *

Three others sat in a thoughtful silence. Darien embracing Serena from behind, her cheeks stained with tears as she leaned back, taking comfort in her boyfriend's arms. A couple of steps away, Mina was looking down at the sand as it slid between her fingers.

* * * * * * * *

_"You have one new message." A slightly__ metallic-sounding voice said. Hope sparkled in her blue eyes, her hands gripping the handset so tightly that her knuckles turned white._

_"Let it be them, let it be them..." She repeated it like a mantra._

"*BIP* Hello, it's me, Serena. Darien and I wanted to remind you about dinner tomorrow night. A friend of Darien's will also be there. Bye! ...Oh! I almost forgot: good luck on your casting. I'm sure it'll be fine. See ya tomorrow! *BIIIIP* You have no more messages."

_She stood in disappointment__closing her watering eyes, the handset loosely held __in__ shaking hands._

_"Mina! Mina, damn it! Where the hell are you?!" __Shouts came f__rom around the corner. "Ah, there you are. Move that cute ass of yours and __get__ back to work, I don't pay you to fool with the phone!"_

_Mina hung up the phone __and__leaned back against the stained wall__, slumping down on t__he plastic floor._

_"Mina! You heard me? You think it __would__ be difficult for me to find another cute, desperate-for-a-job chick?"_

_"Coming! Don't be such a pain!" She yelled bac__k, __standing and rubbing away the tears before they had a chance to fall down her cheeks._

_She entered the crowded and noisy dining roo__m, st__ill tying the white apron she wore on her very short, pink uniform. _

_"Remind me again why I don't fire you?" Her boss, a bristly man in his late forties__, __asked her as she passed by the counter._

_"Cause you like to see this every time I pass!" She said__, p__ointing at her rear._

_He was left wordless as she approached a table to take the orde__r, her hips swaying suggestively._

* * * * * * * *

"Someone told me you're the one I should talk to."

Haruka opened her eyes, disturbed by the sudden shadow and the brusqueness of the voice. A tall figure towered over her, obscuring the sun. First she looked up at the newcomer, then she looked down at the two sleeping figures: one in her lap, the other curled up against her right shoulder and put her index finger in front of her lips.

"Shhh!" She warned.

"Oh! Sorry." The tall brunette whispered scratching the back of her head and giggling in embarrassment, the previous harsh attitude gone.

At that point Haruka felt stirring at her right side and two ocean-blue eyes blinked open.

"Hey, sleepy-head..." The blonde said, smiling gently. Then it was Michiru's turn to blush when she realized that she had fallen asleep on Haruka's shoulder and they weren't alone either.

"What can I do for you?" Haruka asked.

"Well, I was thinking about... doing something." Lita said, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

"Something like...?" The blonde wasn't sure what the other girl had in mind.

"Anything!" Lita said, turning around and gesturing to the entire beach with a wave of her hand. Haruka continued to stare at her, perplexed. "Anything. Anything but sitting here and waiting." She turned towards the wreckage and continued, "We should start thinking about what we're going to do. Nobody has shown up, no rescue, no ships on the horizon...nothing."

"You're right they _should_ be here by now..." Haruka pondered the situation and stood holding Hotaru, who was still asleep. She winced as she strained her injured shoulder and soon Michiru took the child from her.

"Maybe we should gather the others and decide what to do next." The aqua-haired woman offered. The other two nodded and they all walked to the doctor's tent to talk of their next move

The first shock had passed and it was now time to deal with the situation.

* * * * * * * *

_The room was ba__re, w__hite walls and no windows. The artificial light of the trembling __fluorescent bulb sent a blurring flash on the desk's surface. The unkind, gruff as__sistant pushed her inside unceremoniously. No one was there._

_"Get ready, he'll be here soon." And with tha__t __she slammed the d__oor, leaving the blond girl alone inside the lackluster room . _

_Mina __swallowed__ the lump in her throat.__ She had somehow realized what kind of casting this was. In__ front of the desk stood a plain plastic chair__which__ she stared at for a couple of minutes. She felt suddenly cold despit__e it being a hot __summ__er day, finally sitting down and beginning unbuttoning her sleeveless shirt slowly, her fingers trembling._

_Suddenly a wet sensation on her skin startled her. She looked down and saw__ a __transparent drop sliding down the back of her hand and into the yellow fabric of her shirt. She stared at the slowly enlarging stain until she realized that __it__was a tear. Her tear. Soon others followed and she broke down sobbing._

_A __few__ minutes later, the other girls waiting in the hall saw a blur of yellow rushing down the corridor and towards the exit._

_"You. It's your turn__now__." The assistant shrugge__d, grabbing a dumbfounded brunette by the arm and escorting her to the same room._

* * * * * * * * *

"Mina? Mina? Isn't that your shirt? Isn't that your suitcase? It's incredibly lucky to have found it." Serena held up a yellow, sleeveless shirt to Mina, "I remember you having a shirt like this." The pigtailed girl remembered right, but Mina was absolutely sure that wasn't _her_ shirt. 'I threw it away that same day...'

"No, Serena. That is _not_ my shirt. Now let's move on, we're not supposed to search for clothing, but for medications." She said curtly, searching the large suitcase in front of her.

The doctor had instructed them to search for any kind of medications, sewing kits, and even every form of alcohol. She needed mostly antibiotics, particularly for Hotaru's father. She had said that there was only a small chance of keeping him alive until they were rescued and he could be transported to a hospital.

"You're right. I'd better hurry, I want to see Darien before they go...I still don't understand how the radio could be functioning after the plane crashed, though." Serena mumbled.

"Furuhata said there's a supplemental transmitter on every plane for emergency." Mina replied.

"Well, he seems to be an expert. Hey Mina, do you think he has a girlfriend? 'Cause he's nice and good-looking and I think you could..." Her voice faded off.

"I could what? You should stop trying to set me up with guys, it seems like you don't think I could get one myself." Mina answered half-scolding, half-laughing. When she didn't hear any comment from her friend she turned around.

Serena was unbelievably pale and was trembling, her light blue eyes filling with tears as they stared at the ground. Mina followed her friend's gaze to what seemed to be a dress shoe. After a moment she realized that there was a foot in that shoe and an entire body attached to it. It was the _dead_ body of a middle-age man in an elegant business suit.

"We should start considering taking care of those, sooner or later." Was her composed comment. She kneeled down and searched the corpse's pocket. "Aha! I knew it!" In her hand was a little orange plastic box, half full of white pills. She stood and looked to her pigtailed friend.

Serena's eyes were wide in horror, her mouth agape and large tears falling down her pale cheeks. She seemed utterly horrified, jumping in Mina's arms, crying.

"Oh, you're so brave Mina! You're so practical and brave! I wish I could be strong like you!" She sobbed. Mina caressed her back soothingly.

"Oh, come on Serena, there's no need to cry over that!" She attempted to calm her friend.

"No, you're my idol, ever since kindergarten. You are so strong and brave...and beautiful... and brilliant," she blubbered loudly, "And you're talented too. You'll be a movie star. You've always been successful whatever you were doing." Another sob. "And now you had the sense of doing _that_ and take the medicine! I'll never be able to be like you." She concluded, still sobbing like a child.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Serena. I think you're a bit too emotional right now." She gave her friend a gentle pat on the back, changing the subject, "I think we're finished here, let's take this stuff to the doc so you can give a goodbye kiss to Darien. And you know what? I think I may be going with them."

'Because you continue to remind me how much of a crappy lie my life is...' She added to herself.

* * * * * * * *

"Hey, Four-Eyes, I'm done here, I'll go to the doc for the delivery." The long-haired, cold-eyed man told Umino. Without waiting for an answer, he swung a blue rucksack that appeared to be full of every kind of things on his shoulder and headed into the woods.

"Ok...hey! Wait!" The younger Japanese man called for him. Jade, his steely eyes glancing back, stopped in his tracks, a cold bead of sweat running down his spine. 'What the Hell does the moron want, now?' He thought in exasperation.

Umino ran to Jade's side, offering his hand, panting "We've never been introduced. I'm Gurio Umino, nice to meet you."

The older man ignored the proffered hand and locked his cold eyes with those of the smiling boy.

"The pleasure is all mine, Four-Eyes." He said finally after a long pause, the tone was sarcastic but Umino's smile didn't falter, instead, gazing up at the older man, waiting. After a minute or so of unnerving silence, the long-haired man gave up. "It's Jade, Four-Eyes. Now move. I have to go."

"Oh, yes." Umino beamed, returning to his searching.

* * * * * * * *

"I still don't know if I can trust you."

"There's nothing I can do now to make you trust me." The interlocutor's face was unreadable.

Haruka looked down at the purple-eyed little girl, her expression softening. "Are you going to be alright, Hime-chan?"

"Of course, Haruka-san. Setsuna-mama's nice; you shouldn't be so rude to her. I like her very much." The little girl said in a scolding tone that took the two adults by surprise and elicited a smile from them.

"Mmh...OK, then I'm gonna go. Be a good kid, and don't have too much fun without me." She said with a wink.

Haruka headed to the hospital tent that had been designated as headquarters. Due to the fact that the doctor couldn't leave Souchi Tomoe's - Hotaru's father - bedside.

Just outside the tent she found Lita, the brunette who had come to her earlier, Furuhata, the radio expert who was supposed to be able to find and use the transmitter, Michiru, Seiya and Yaten. After a moment, they were joined by Darien and his girlfriend's friend, the cute blonde with the red ribbon in her hair, whose name she later found out to be Mina.

"Hey Haruka, are we ready?"

"I guess so," She said, looking around at the others. "Before we go can I talk to you...in private?" She added glancing shortly at Mina.

"Of course. Mina, could you excuse us for a minute?" He asked gently. Mina nodded without objection, but couldn't hide a curious look.

"I'm a little worried; we still don't know who was with the Marshall," She explained, "Any clue?"

"No, and I'm not too happy to leave Serena here either, but we have to do this..." He stated.

"Yeah, I know." She glanced briefly to where she had left Hotaru.

"Well, let's keep our eyes open and try to be back as soon as possible." He concluded, resolve in his eyes. Just then, the long-haired Jade approached, several little boxes of medications in hand.

"We're going to try and use the cockpits transmitter to send an S.O.S. Are you coming with us?" Darien asked.

"No, thanks. It's a waste of time. If they wanted to find us they would be here already." He said stiffly with a shake of his shoulders.

At his bitter words all the heads lifted, fear appearing in their eyes and a suffocating silence falling upon them. Haruka shook her head and glared at him, her look ice-cold.

"That's why we're going. If they're not here, it's because they don't know yet."

Everyone looked at her and some hope returned in their eyes, especially Furuhata's. He was the first to move, heading to the forest with a confident smile on his lips. The group followed after him and began their trek towards the thin column of smoke visible in the distance.

* * * * * * * *

The trip was hard due to the nonexistent path and thick woods. During the first hour of their journey they walked in silence, the tension among them clear. They were a bunch of strangers, knowing nothing about each other and Jade's words still echoed in their minds. The only one who seemed confident and optimistic was Furuhata, who guided the group with a steady pace.

Nevertheless, at some point the silence became too much for Mina, whose dark thoughts were eating at her mind lately, even before the plane crashed. Soon, she couldn't stand the tension any longer. She spotted three figures walking a couple of steps ahead and increased her pace to match theirs. She had recognized them immediately, but the previous events had kept her from approaching. Now, she put on her most confident smile and came up beside them.

"You know, even in these crazy circumstances, it's amazing you're here. I'm a huge fan of yours." She blabbered when she was at Yaten's side, who actually was her favorite Threelights member because of his beautiful fashion sense and cool attitude. He looked very delicate in person, she thought, observing his almost feminine features.

He was startled by the sudden break of silence, looking in surprise at the pretty blonde. Almost instantly was it replaced by a smile, he was glad that someone—_finally_—came to rescue them from that oppressing dark mood which was starting to make him very nervous.

"Oh, thank Kami someone recognizes us. I was starting to think we weren't as famous as our agent said we are." He joked—or was he?

"How could you possibly doubt our success, lil' brother? You'll _always_ be popular with a cool, handsome brother like me!" Seiya intervened, winking at Mina.

Michiru and Yaten rolled their eyes as Mina blinked in confusion. But after a few seconds and one of Seiya's smiles, she concluded it didn't matter because he was right anyway.

Her attempt had been successful in dissipating the heavy silence among the whole group and within minutes Lita, Furuhata and Darien were talking as well. Only Haruka remained silent in the rear of the group.

As Seiya was completely engrossed in the conversation with the adoring fan, Michiru considered it to be the perfect moment to sneak away. As Mina was telling about her promising career in 'show-biz,' Michiru finally slowed her pace.

While observing them from behind, she found herself wondering why she was so willing to be with someone else. After all, these were her friends and colleagues, they were those supposed to understand her and make her feel safe. Sure they were a good company. She loved to discuss fashion with Yaten, Taiki was a real gentleman—he reminded her of her father—always kind and polite; cultured and sophisticated. And Seiya? Well, Seiya was handsome, brilliant, kind, and charming. He was very talented, possibly the most talented of the three, and Michiru had always looked for that kind of attitude in her friends. She had always thought that having someone as talented as herself would feel a little less lonely...

She had spent her childhood feeling like a 'freak'. Of course everybody had always admired her, but they had always looked like they were envious or even scared of her and her talent, and most of all she had always felt as if no one had ever really understood her.

As she thought that, she approached the handsome blonde woman, who was walking in silence obviously lost in her own thoughts as well.

"Hey you there! All alone and brooding..." The aqua-haired woman said with a grin.

"Brooding? I don't brood!" Haruka mumbled, lifting her eyes to meet Michiru's. The smile that greeted her was one that took her breath away. It was slightly amused, but with a bit of tenderness in it that Michiru had been unable to hide.

"What? I have something on my face?" Michiru tilted her head a little, searching her face with her hand. After a moment, Haruka realized she had been staring and shook her head, dismissing her thoughts quickly.

"No, there's nothing there. Why aren't you entertaining your fan?" She said, attempting to change the subject.

Not having considered for a moment that Haruka could be interested in what was happening ahead, Michiru stared at the tall blonde in surprise. Haruka laughed at the dumbfounded expression.

"What? Don't you know you're famous?" Haruka's amusement showed in her teal eyes and Michiru couldn't help but notice how beautiful they were when reached by a smile.

"Of course I'm aware of that...painfully aware, actually." She said suddenly relaxed, "It's just that you don't seem like the kind of person that's fond of music, especially pop." She added honestly.

"I see. And what kind of 'person' do I seem to be?" Haruka asked, smiling slightly. Michiru didn't answer immediately, obviously taken by surprise.

"And by the way, I'm not...fond of pop music. And you neither." That was a statement, not a question. "You wouldn't play the violin for a living." Haruka explained, "But though I _don't_ like pop music, I know who they are," She said, pointing to Seiya and Yaten. "And though you don't like pop, you play with them." There was something in her voice, bitterness it seemed, particularly in the last bit.

An awkward silence fell between the two. Haruka silently scolded herself for her tone, not quite sure as to why she had said that. Michiru, on the other hand, was surprised the blonde knew so many things about her.

"I couldn't help but notice..." Michiru spoke first, moving the subject towards a different route. "That both your Japanese and English are flawless. Where are you from exactly?" She felt slightly uncomfortable to be the object of the conversation and wanted to shift the attention to the blonde, guessing she wouldn't be too keen either.

Haruka remained silent for a moment, pondering an answer. She didn't like to talk about herself, particularly with a stranger, but this woman had a weird and scary effect on her and, without realizing it, she found herself answering sincerely.

"Technically, I'm American." She stated.

"Oh."

The aqua-haired woman seemed almost disappointed at the fact, making Haruka quickly add: "But I've been living in Japan for eleven years now...so I think I'm more Japanese than American." The last words were spoken gravely and Michiru became positive that there was some serious meaning behind her words. Once Haruka seemed unwilling to add anything else, Michiru understood it was better to settle for a less personal topic.

"And what do you do for a living?" The blonde's body language proved Michiru right, because almost immediately, Haruka seemed to relax.

"I work with cars; racing cars." At that, her teal eyes sparkled with passion and Michiru was once more captivated by them. She wasn't at all surprised by the fact the blonde worked in a field usually ruled by men, it suited her perfectly even if she seemed a little too refined to be a mechanic. Before she could come up with another question, Haruka anticipated her.

"Hey, why am I the only one giving off all this personal information?" She chided, playfully and Michiru appreciated her tone.

"Because you haven't asked anything. Besides, you seem to already know everything about me." Michiru countered, now enjoying the conversation and the light tone it had assumed.

"Well, it's hard not to know about you; you're on all the newspapers. Plus, you seem to be the photographers' favorite subject lately...and how can you blame them?" The smile that followed made Michiru's heart skip a beat, the flirtatious attitude she had already experienced on the plane making her feel like a school girl again. And she blushed furiously for the second time that day.

That was what Seiya found when he finally reached the tail of the group, having been searching for Michiru. The image was completely different from the usually composed and aloof woman he knew. The initial surprise faded swiftly as he realized who she was with and annoyance instantly took its place.

With renewed resolve, the dark-haired man grabbed Michiru's arm, interrupting their conversation. "Can I talk to you for a minute, _M__ichi-chan_?" He stressed the intimate nickname, but the cold look he received in response told him that it was a mistake.

"What do you want, Seiya?" Though she hated to make a scene, Michiru had the temptation to openly scold her friend for his rudeness.

"Can I talk to you in private, please?" His attitude had made a complete about-face after her glare, which she seemingly took as a form of silent apology.

"Excuse me, Haruka-san." She said to the suddenly steely-eyed blonde. Haruka nodded, but her look clearly stated that she liked Seiya about as much as he liked her.

"What are you doing?" He snapped, accusingly.

"What are _you_ doing?" She replied, giving him such a hard glare that he almost flinched.

"You do know that's a _woman,_ right?" He hissed.

"Of course I do, I'm neither blind nor stupid!" She replied angrily. "And why this would be a problem?" She didn't quite grasp as to why he was so upset. Was he jealous? 'It's not like we're really dating. Besides, what exactly is he jealous of?' Michiru pondered.

"'Cause she—"

"There! It's there!" Furuhata's excited voice cut Seiya's retort short.

The entire group stopped, following Furuhata's hand as he pointed ahead. In front of them was the plane's cockpit, or what remained of it. Trees were crushed under its massive structure, some branches even impaling the metal. Blood was scattered on the windows, but fortunately, despite the smoke, there was no fire.

* * * * * * * *

Darien and Haruka exchanged a few words, and then Darien cleared his throat and addressed the group.

"Haruka and Furuhata will head for the pilot's cabin to try and find the transmitter; everyone else will check if anybody is still alive." He couldn't hide the skepticism lingering in his last words.

For a fraction of a second, no one moved, instead, they stood looking at the wreckage with uncertainty. It was Lita who took a deep breath and stepped in first.

"Oh my God..." They heard after a moment.

"What? What's in there?" Yaten said, suddenly very anxious.

"What do you think is in there, baka!" Seiya said sarcastically, following after Lita.

After them came Darien and Mina, then Michiru. Yaten was the only one to remain outside, but no one seemed to notice.

Haruka and Furuhata circled the nose of the plane, trying to find an alternate entrance directly into the the cockpit. Part of the glass in the front of the plane was shattered, which made the perfect entrance for Furuhata as he attempted to make his way through. Sadly, his endeavors feel short of the mark as he found nothing to hoist himself through the hole with, leaving him dangling half-in, half-out of the window. It took Haruka's good arm to get him through it, pushing him roughly into the cockpit with a soft thump.

"Thank you!" Came Furuhata's muffled voice from the inside. Then he gasped.

"What?" Haruka asked, but received no answer, "I can't get inside from here! I'm coming in from the other side!" She said and hurried back to the side of the frame where the others were.

Once inside, the sight was dreadful. Corpses were everywhere. Some were still tucked in their seats, some laying disorderly on the floor. One was even impaled by a stray branch. However, what was really shocking was the amount of blood, too much for even a crash of this nature.

"Haruka, I need a hand here!" Furuhata called, snapping Haruka out of her stupor.

"I'm coming." She said, but it came out as just a whisper. She made it to the cockpit without a word, forcing herself to look ahead and not at the carnage around her.

Upon entering themselves, Michiru instantly had a hand on her mouth in shock, Lita was panting hard, trying her best not to throw up. Darien's eyes were closed in silence, his lips moving in a prayer, while Mina—though obviously shaken—attempted to check the corpses, searching for a pulse. She didn't speak, simply moving around between her shocked companions. Her eyes were filled by tears as she moved from corpse to corpse, finding no survivor, but still she kept checking.

Meanwhile, on the flight deck, Furuhata was searching for the transmitter. He had tried to move the pilot's seat, finding it too heavy due to the pilot's body still being buckled in it.

"It should be right under the seat." He said to Haruka, who had just stepped in with him. He glanced briefly at her, shocked to see her eyes wide in horror and her face growing paler by the second. "Tenoh-san? What's wrong?"

Haruka didn't answer, instead she tried to move the pilot's seat with her right arm but found it impossible. Furuhata didn't ask again, finding it better to simply join in her efforts. After what seemed like ages of heaving, they finally gave up. Even unbuckling the seatbelt didn't work and in the end, they decided that it would be best to cut it off. It didn't take long, but when they began to move the pilot's body they heard a soft moan.

"He's alive!"

They carefully laid him down on the cockpit floor, clearing a space to prevent further injury.

"Run!" He coughed hard, his body racking with each intake of breath. "Run, hurry! It'll come back!" The badly injured pilot anxiously warned with a voice so soft, they had trouble understanding.

"Hey, it's OK, we're here. We'll take you to a doctor. She's at the beach." Furuhata tried to reassure him, but he was beginning to feel extremely agitated.

"Hurry, take the emergency transmitter…" A trickle of blood came out of his mouth as he coughed once again. "They...they...don't know…out of path...thousand miles out of path...it hasn't finished yet..." Another sickening cough. "It will...back...hurry...thousand miles... Oh God its teeth!..."

He was no longer talking coherently, his words coming out in pieces until they became unintelligible all together. Before he could warn them further, he coughed once more, this time, worse than before, and then went suddenly completely limp, his eyes blankly staring up at the ceiling. Haruka looked to Furuhata and shook her head. They sat in silence for a moment, still shocked at having seen a man just die.

"Come on, we have a job to do." Gently, she moved the pilot's body, allowing Furuhata to reach under the seat. It wasn't long until he finally stood, a triumphant look glowing on his face.

"Here it is!" He exclaimed, a black transmitter in his hand.

GROAR!

* * * * * * * *

"Legs..." Seiya's voice was shaky with fear. "Where are her legs?" He pointed a trembling finger towards a woman who was lacking her lower half.

"Oh my God, ohmygod...ohmygodohmygod..." Lita murmured frantically, looking around at all of the corpses. They seemed to literally have been devoured. Michiru almost lost her balance as she walked down the isle, slipping on a pool of blood covering the floor while Darien and Mina were about to step out of the contraption. Obviously, there were no survivors.

GROAR!

* * * * * * * *

GROAR!

The frame of the airplane quaked making them fall to the ground. It didn't take long for the surprise to wear off before Haruka and Furuhata ran off back to the others, everyone in silence, only their heavy breathing betraying their presence inside.

GROAR!

Again the plane's structure shook dangerously. The noise seemingly came from the cockpit and Haruka, who was closer to it, couldn't help but peek over the seats and into the cabin. She saw the pilot's body slowly being pulled out through the half shattered glass and gasped when blood suddenly splashed on the remains of the window.

Michiru saw Haruka flinch and couldn't help but to stretch to look over the blonde's shoulder to see what was happening. Before she could get that far, Haruka promptly grabbed her arm, pulling the violinist against her chest to protect her from the gruesome view.

"No! Don't..." The blonde murmured, Michiru didn't protest, remaining still as she listened to Haruka's frantic heart beating fast beneath her ear.

Then, as suddenly as it came, whatever had made the noise soon disappeared. Frightened looks were exchanged all around, and slowly, they rose to their feet.

"Kami-sama…Yaten!" Seiya searched around him frantically, terror rising in him as he realized his brother wasn't with them. Calling for his brother, he dashed out of the cabin.

"SEIYA, NO!" Michiru bellowed, disentangling herself from Haruka's arms she rang after her friend. The blonde also tried to run after them, stopped by a sharp pain in her shoulder as her sling became caught on the arm of a seat. Slowly, she removed it and, without further hesitation, exited the plane in a flash, the others behind her.

Outside of the wreckage, Seiya was calling for his brother anxiously and he was soon joined by Michiru and the others. They split up into teams to look for their missing member, making sure to keep an eye out for whatever had made the horrid noise earlier. Luckily, their search didn't take long, and eventually Michiru had glimpsed a sliver of silver among some dark bushes. She walked silently and cautiously towards the foliage finding Yaten crouching and shaking heavily. She approached and stooped beside him.

"Yaten-kun?" She addressed him softly.

"Kami-sama, help me..." He was murmuring, seemingly unaware of her presence.

"Shh...it's over. It's gone. Here..." She said, wrapping her arms around him gently, trying to calm him down.

Haruka, who was searching nearby, saw them and made a move to approach, then thought against it. Yaten would probably become more upset with her presence. Instead, she found herself thinking that Michiru seemed way different from the elegant, snobby, musical genius that the papers pictured. The aqua-haired woman was caressing her friend sweetly, murmuring soothing words in his ear and Haruka couldn't help but think that Michiru looked even more beautiful than usual.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a running Seiya passed by in a flash.

"Are you OK?" He asked, a mix of fear and relief in his voice as he hugged his brother tightly. The silver-haired man simply nodded. Michiru took that as her cue to let Seiya take care of his younger brother and rose to her feet. When she turned, her eyes briefly met with Haruka's alarmed ones, understanding immediately what was on the blonde's mind. Touching Seiya's shoulder gently, she looked at him urgently.

"It's not safe here, we have to go." She said, softly. Seiya nodded and stood, pulling his still shaking brother up next to him.

* * * * * * * *

After an hour of quick-paced walking, they reached the top of a hill, finding that they could see the beach in the distance. The sun was setting and no one felt comfortable walking through the woods in the dark, so they found a large clearing and decided to spend the night.

Furuhata was checking on the transmitter while the others sat around the fire in a heavy silence. Only after several minutes did quiet conversations begin to spread throughout the group, obviously an attempt at loosening the tension but no one spoke of what happened at the wreck.

"You know, Mina, I've never thanked you for coming to Japan with us. It means a lot to Serena." Darien said, tossing thin sticks absentmindedly into the fire.

"No need to thank me, Darien. It was fun. Besides I won't have too many chances of spending time with her once you'll move. I couldn't afford to miss this one." Mina replied, a tinge of sadness evident in her voice.

"I know..." The dark-haired man lowered his gaze, obviously troubled. Mina saw it and immediately tried to reassure him.

"And I'll be too busy myself, you know. I may have made it this time, soon I'll be rehearsing all day and partying all night long." She concluded with a laugh. Those words sounded false to her own ears, but she saw a little smile creeping on Darien's lips.

"I'm glad you made it, it's always been your dream." He said and the genuine support in his voice was like a stab in Mina's heart.

"Yeah..." She faltered for a moment. Her deceit was beginning to take a toll on her, making her sick to her stomach and tired at the same time. Even so, she couldn't help but lie to her friends. The mere thought of disappointment in her friends' eyes sent a shiver down her spine.

"Serena is so proud of you. She walks around bragging about her best friend being a promising actress all the time. That's her. She can be completely happy for someone else without the smallest bit of envy." His eyes lightened up at the thought of his fiancée.

"Yeah, she's amazing. She should be proud of herself most of all...of her life. She's always herself, no matter what...and she's honest." Mina murmured those last words more to herself than to him.

* * * * * * * *

_"Miss Aino, we'll be in touch. Next! Come on! We don't have time to waste, ladies."_

_She picked up the score the pianist returned to her and was out of the theater. It had been the tenth audition of the week and every time it had been: 'We'll be in touch,' but no one had contacted her yet. Every _damn_ time._

_"Mina! Mina!" Serena reached __her, pant__ing on her way to the subway._

_"Serena, what are you doing here?"_

_"I wanted to surprise__ you for y__our audition. I know how important it was for you." The pigtailed girl said with an open smile._

_"You're too sweet to be true, Serena. Let's go for ice-cream, my treat." Mina was glad her friend was there with h__er. She was always supporting, even if it could sometimes be seen the other way around. Sure Se__rena was clumsy and childish, but she was always positive and optimistic and her happiness was contagious. And you could _always_ count on her presence. F__or Serena, friendship was something sacred._

_"Yes! Ice-cream! Wait...__your treat? You mean we're celebrating?! Oh my God, Mina, you've made it!!!!" The pigtailed girl suffocated Mina in a tight embrace, almost lifti__ng her from the ground. "I knew it! You're too talented!" Yes, Serena was always positive and a little too quick jumping at conclusions. Mina was taken aba__ck, especially as Serena soon had happy tears filling her light-blue eyes._

_"Calm down Serena! It's not like that—" She starte__d, but__ was cut off._

_"What do you mean? The audition went bad?" Her expression changed so quickly that Mina startled, all the happiness replaced with such sadness and disappointment that Mina couldn't help but..._

_"Of course it was good! No, it was _great_! _I _was great!"__ A lie. "It__'s just that...we still haven't had our debut. You know h__ow superstitious actors are. N__ow let's go cele__brate." Off they went to a nearby café, ordering the biggest ice-cream they owned._

_"To Mina, the best actress in the world!" Serena cheered, and with their two little spoons high in the air, they giggled loudly, making everyone in the room turn to look at them. They simply laughed and ate their ice-cream happily._

* * * * * * * *

'Sure, that was the best performance ever. Yeah...I'm a very good actress.' Mina thought, returning her attention to Darien.

* * * * * * *

Seiya refused to leave Yaten's side ever since they had left the wreckage, despite the fact the silver-haired boy seemed to be back to normal. For Michiru, the unusual lack of attention from Seiya felt like a relief, leaving her free to go somewhere else. She stood and walked around the fire to where Haruka was sitting in silence, staring at her hands absentmindedly.

"Don't tell me you're not brooding now." Michiru said playfully, sitting next to the blonde without asking for any kind of permission.

Haruka lifted her eyes and smiled. "I told you before, I don't brood. I just think very hard!" Michiru giggled.

"Then sorry, I didn't intend to interrupt all that hard thinking. Please go on, your expression is pretty entertaining itself." Michiru liked to be playful, but it wasn't often she let herself indulge that side of her personality. But strangely enough, Haruka elicited her desire of teasing and Michiru couldn't positively say if it was the desire of seeing those teal eyes lighten up with a smile or embarrassment, or the fact that she felt she could trust Haruka and be herself around the blonde.

"Oh, now I'm an entertainer! Do you like the show?" Haruka inquired with a wink, but was taken aback by the tone of the reply.

"Very much," Michiru said, her voice so sultry and low that it surprised even her. What had possessed her to say it like that? She had intended to be frivolous, but what came out of her mouth was flirtatious, if not kind of..._sexy_.

Haruka then did something that she rarely let happen. She blushed. Of course, she wasn't new at flirting, in fact quite the contrary. She considered flirting with pretty girls some kind of hobby. Sweet words, compliments, kissing hands or little gestures of gallantry were like second nature to her. Just a flash of her patented smile and a girl was immediately captivated. It made her feel in control, powerful...but she was_ never_ the prey.

'And you certainly aren't now!' Her conscience scolded. 'There's no way that was more than teasing. She's straight and she's probably dating that pony-tailed moron.'

Michiru, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised to see the deep shade of crimson ascending from the blonde's neck to her cheeks and couldn't suppress a chuckle, composing herself when Haruka's sharp glare was shot at her.

Silence fell around them as they stared into the fire. The lighthearted moment had passed, and now dark thoughts returned to haunt their minds. Haruka replayed in her head the mysterious words of the pilot. They were 1000 miles out of their path and the rescue squad was probably searching for them somewhere else. Michiru was trying desperately to shut the sight of devoured bodies and the sound of menacing growling out of her mind, but was having no success. She could even feel the tactile sensation of blood under her feet and shivered. She had to keep her mind occupied some other way!

She looked at Haruka, only to see her massaging her sore shoulder and realized that the handkerchief was gone.

"You shouldn't move that, you know?" Michiru scolded.

"I'm not moving it; beside it's just a little sore." Haruka stopped her fidgeting and turned to look at Furuhata. She was nervous. "Has he made it? I don't like this waiting."

"We have to wait all night anyway." Michiru considered calmly.

"Yeah..." Haruka's short reply seemed to hide more than she was letting on. Something was bothering the blonde, Michiru could sense it. 'Is she scared? Or...' Then Michiru realized what had been Haruka's main concern ever since she had met her after the crash. Hotaru.

"Is it Hotaru-chan? You're worried about her." It was a statement, not a question.

"I'm fine." The blonde was laconic.

"Mmh..." Michiru looked at her skeptically.

"Alright, yes, I'm concerned about her."

"But she's with Setsuna-san, isn't she?" Michiru tried to reassure her.

"Yeah..."

"You don't trust her." Michiru stated, not expecting any explanation from Haruka.

"I don't know about you, but I'm not used to trusting people I just met." She had her eyes fixed on the fire and her fists clenched.

"Of course. Well, actually you don't seem the kind of person who trusts people in general." The violinist spoke softly, sensing the conversation was heading into dangerous waters. She could tell Haruka was uncomfortable talking about her feelings and the lack of a reply was proof enough.

Silence fell upon them once again, this time for what seemed like ages. Michiru suddenly began to feel cold. Haruka was trying her best to reestablish some distance between them and Michiru didn't like it one bit. To keep the blonde from doing so, she took a risk, usually she never needed reassurance seeing that she was a very confident person, but right now, she needed to ask.

"What about me? Do you trust me?" The words were spoken softly. Haruka turned to look at her for the first time in a while and what Michiru saw in those eyes left her confused. It wasn't annoyance, and it wasn't anger like she had expected. It was...

'Fear?! What are you scared of? It is me? It can't be me; I _don't _scarepeople, do I?' The violinist thought frantically.

"Tenoh-san?"

Fortunately for Haruka, Furuhata called her to his side, saving her from the uncomfortable conversation.

* * * * * * * *

Michiru was left alone to her thoughts, frustrated only until she felt someone come and sit beside her. She smiled, thinking Haruka was already back, but when she opened her eyes she saw two clear blue eyes and Mina's pretty face. Her smile faltered slightly, but not wanting to look impolite, she kept her grin small.

"You were expecting someone else." Mina stated in amusement. "I can't blame you. You have good taste. But, then again, you can afford it." The tone of her words was lighthearted and Michiru found that she wasn't at all offended.

"I think that's a compliment, isn't it?" Michiru asked, smiling in return.

Mina laughed, aware that her words could have sounded a little rude. "Yeah, it definitely was! It just seems natural for you successful people to hang with your own." She explained, still giggling.

"I don't know about that...but thank you. And I was told you're a talented actress as well." Michiru replied, remembering Seiya and Yaten talking about her.

"Oh well, yeah...I..." Mina hesitated. "Yeah, I actually...Well...Oh, never mind!" She dismissed the subject with a wave of her hand. "We were talking about you…lucky you." She finally said, bringing back the conversation on Michiru and winning a little battle with herself.

"Mmh... so tell me, why am I so lucky?" Michiru queried with a gentle chuckle. This girl was funny with her fan attitude and straightforwardness at the same time. She seemed to not be afraid of telling things like it is. Michiru found Mina to be in a way charming and clearly good-looking. Perhaps she could really have a chance in the entertainment world.

"Well, look at yourself, you're beautiful! And you're not even stupid!" Mina marveled, speaking just a little too loud. Michiru's eyes went wide in surprise before she burst out into laughter, tears in her eyes. Mina reddened considerably. "Oh, sorry. But you understand what I mean, right?"

"Yes, I get it." Michiru replied between laughs, "And I think that_ too_ was a compliment."

"Yeah, and you're with them." Mina pointed to the other side of the campfire where the others were. "They're very different, but both very charming..." Mina's blue eyes were dreamy, "Ok, Seiya is more my type, if you know what I mean." She winked at the now dumbfounded violinist, "But you can never know what life has in store for you. Besides, in my opinion, you have to experience everything at least once, well almost everything..." The blonde girl concluded with a toothy grin.

Michiru wasn't sure she had completely understood what Mina had said, but smiled at her.

"I thought Yaten was your favorite." Michiru commented, remembering Mina's look when she was talking to her two friends earlier.

"Of course Yaten is my favorite! He's so elegant and handsome and his voice is absolutely heavenly!"

At that, Michiru was completely lost. "But you just said Seiya..."

Mina gasped, realizing that Michiru thought she was talking about the two brothers, her hands waving away the statement frantically.

"Don't tell me you don't know who _she_ is!"

"Who?" Michiru looked around.

"You don't know much about sports, do you?" Mina asked.

"Well...no. Actually, I know absolutely nothing about sports. But, I was in the swimming team back in high school." Michiru offered with a hopeful smile.

"And you don't read gossip magazines either, do you?" Mina questioned, skeptically.

"Well, sometimes…when my agent makes me. He wants me to know the things they write about me, but I hate all that stuff. They're mostly untrue to say the least." She huffed.

"So, you don't have any idea who Haruka Tenoh is." Mina said, every word pronounced slowly, in a sort of theatrical way.

"No, I'm afraid I don't, but now that I think about it...when we were boarding she was...Yeah, she was signing autographs for the flight attendants and they seemed to be really excited." Michiru replayed that moment in her head, the moment when she had been captivated by the mysterious blonde.

"She's the Formula One World Champion, the first female race-car driver to win the top motor-sport class. She's an idol and role model to girls all over the world and even for many boys." Mina rambled, her voice containing such enthusiasm that Michiru thought Mina herself was one of those girls she was talking about. She looked towards Haruka on the other side of the fire, her head bent with Furuhata's, obviously talking about the transmitter.

'I wasn't expecting anything less from you...' She thought as a smile formed on her lips.

Mina observed her face and chuckled, not even Michiru Kaioh was indifferent to the blonde's charm.

* * * * * * * *

"I've got it! I've got it!" Furuhata's excited cry gained the campsite's attention, even though he had yelled in Japanese.

"Mayday! Mayday! Is someone there? Mayday! We are passengers of Flight Oceanic 5186. We have crashed into unknown territory! We need help immediately! Mayday!" He released the transmitting button to hear the reply, but there was nothing, save for the crackle of the transmission. The others had gathered around him, waiting with bated breath.

Then, as if in response to their silent prayers, a voice left the little black transmitter.

_"Doctor, the bait is already in the garden, and Teddy has already had his first meal. We're waiting for further instructions." _A clear male voice said.

_"Ok, good job. Come back home. You're off for today. We just have to wait for them to...*bzz*...pl…*bzzzzzz*...it'll...*bzzzzzzz*...fun...*bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz—"_ A female voice was cut off and the signal disappeared completely. Those around stared, dumbfounded. That obviously wasn't an answer to their S.O.S.

"What the hell was all that about?" Lita inquired, looking at Furuhata. He shook his head, equally clueless.

"I don't know...it seems like we received someone else's transmission unintentionally. But...it was very clear at the beginning." He added thoughtfully.

"What does that mean?" Darien asked, his voice anxious.

"Well, it could be because they're relatively close, or maybe they have a very powerful transmitter." Furuhata answered.

"If that's true, then why did it go all 'buzzy'?" Seiya asked, skeptically. All seven pairs of eyes were on Furuhata. He gulped, suddenly self-conscious.

"Ehm...it clearly was a private channel, so no one other than the owner and the designated receiver are supposed to be able to intercept it. I think our transmitter just ran into their frequency accidentally while searching for the regular international channels. But I think they were pretty close, it was extremely clear" He concluded confidently.

"How close? You mean on this island? If this _is_ an island." Yaten added.

"Close in order of _miles_." All eyes looked at him, full of hope, then he added, "...hundreds miles." He smiled apologetically as if it were his fault. They all sighed in disappointment and sat back around the fire.

"We had better try and get some sleep. We still have a long way to go in the morning." Mina offered, practically trying not to think about what had happened.

"Like we're in any rush..." Seiya murmured bitterly in Japanese for just Michiru and Yaten to hear.

They all settled in for the night, even deciding to take guard shifts, still shaken by the happenings of the day. Furuhata drew Haruka to a secluded place where he spoke anxiously.

"We have to tell 'em."

"What?" Haruka asked, though she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"What the pilot said. We have to tell them that we're too far from the path; that they're probably searching for us somewhere else...a thousand miles far from here." His voice was desperate.

"Listen to me, Furuhata-kun, you have to calm down. If we tell them, there will be only panic." She locked her teal eyes on his dark ones. "If that's true, and we actually have to spend a longer time here than expected, do you think that panic would be of any help?" Her voice was calm, but firm. She took his shoulder in her hands, though her left arm protested painfully, and squeezed to emphasize her words. After a moment, Furuhata shook his head in surrender.

"You're right, Haruka-san. Hope could be the only thing for us to hold on to in the future." He said, a little spark igniting in his eyes."OK, we should rest now, it has been a very intense day, hasn't it?"

Haruka chuckled at the understatement. "Yeah, I guess so. Come on." She guided Furuhata back at the fire, leaving him to rest as she sat on a rock to take the first shift.

No one could get any sleep that night. Some expected to hear horrible roars any moment, others couldn't close their eyes without seeing mutilated corpses, and some replayed over and over terrible words that stole every ounce of hope from them. Someone was too busy considering every failure of her life. And someone couldn't close her eyes without another pair of eyes haunting her.

End chapter 2.

To be continued...


	4. Please, stay with me

**LOST WITH YOU**

by brada_m

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters. I really don't.

**Rating**: **M** for language, violence and... to be on the safe side anyway.

**Setting**: **AU**

**CHAPTER 4**

**- YOU CAN TRUST ME -**

* * * * * * * *

**Tokyo airport, 9.26 AM.**

_It wasn't raining that day. But it should have been. There should have been rain washing the streets, dousing cars, staining that window. There should have been rain pouring on the city to match the tears on her cheeks, rolling down her neck and soaking the collar of her shirt. It always rains in the movies when the heroine is sad. She can cry and let her tears mix____with raindrops and no one will care._

_'But it's not a movie.' She thought, chuckling. 'If this was a movie, then he'd arrive and we'd end up kissing in the rain with background music.' The tall brunette laughed bitterly at her own ridiculous thoughts._

_People who passed glanced suspiciously at the lone tall girl crying and laughing at the same time, quickening their pace._

_'There's nothing to laugh at. You've let someone fool you again. He won't come... it was foolish enough to think he would have in the first place.' Her inner voice was harsh as usual, but she needed it, she needed to be reminded that you can't trust people, no matter how much you want to._

_Nevertheless, she couldn't help feeling that way, she had to wait until the end, and she couldn't give up hope._

_'If I stay till the end, then it won't be my fault...' She whispered to herself. Looking up, she could see her image reflected on the wide window, her cheeks streaked with tears, her wet green eyes scanning everyone walking through the entrance._

* * * * * * * *

**An island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, present.**

"There's something there!" Umino whispered, standing very cautiously. He put on his thick glasses and looked towards the general direction of the noise that had woken him. He saw bushes shaking, but couldn't tell what was causing it in the dim light of the impending dawn, and he wasn't too eager to go and check either. The tale of the journey to the cockpit had been enough to scare everyone into not going near the woods if it wasn't necessary.

Fortunately, Umino hadn't been the only one woken by the noise. Seiya and Darien had joined him silently. The three remained still and waited, and soon the bushes near the airplane shook again.

"What do we do?" Seiya whispered to Darien.

The short haired man didn't answer, his eyes fixed on the bushes. Seiya couldn't tell if he was thinking or if he was petrified by terror. Then, Darien turned and glanced at his girlfriend's sleeping form, obviously unsure on what to do.

_GRUNT GRUNT_

A cold sweat ran down the three men's backs and they were really petrified.

"They're probably more scared of you, than you're scared of them."

The three men literally jumped at the voice, even though Darien couldn't understand what had been said, his Japanese still being weak.

The short, bald man approached them from behind and grinned. He was walking out of the forest fixing his clothes. They looked at him, still shocked, while he returned their stare in amusement. His mocking expression was starting to annoy Seiya.

"It's not what you think it is, but I suggest you don't go anywhere near them. The mother could get a little touchy..." He said, chuckling and walked off, leaving the three younger men even more confused.

_GRUNT GRUNT GRUNT_

Then something brownish came out of the woods and scampered to the wrecked airplane. The three men yelped in surprise, scattering until they realized it was some sort of furry…pig?

"Wild hogs." Umino stated as they counted five, one was big – probably the mother – and four were little cubs with striped backs and no tusks.

"How cute!!" Serena's high-pitched, but still sleepy voice came from behind them, making them turn in surprise.

"Surely you weren't scared by a bunch of little piglets, were you?" Mina said with a suggestive tone that made the three men blush in embarrassment and she and Serena burst out in laughter.

* * * * * * * *

The first rays of the morning sun filtered between the palm leaves and found Haruka standing, she hadn't got any sleep last night, after Tomoe died. Now, she was watching Hotaru sleeping peacefully – at last – nestled against an also sleeping Michiru. The view was very sweet, but there was no smile on Haruka's face. Her brows were furrowed in a deep frown, her lips a thin line and her eyes red rimmed and anguished.

"It's hard." It could have been the wind itself saying that, or maybe it was just a voice in her head, her tired mind playing tricks, but when the voice spoke again, she couldn't deny its existence.

"It's hard when you have to stick around and make decisions, isn't it?" Setsuna said and Haruka started at her words, "Sometimes, it's necessary." She stated with a little understanding in her voice.

Haruka was too tired to dwell on the fact that that woman always knew what was on her mind. She was too tired to try and answer, so she remained silent hoping the green-haired woman would take the hint and leave her alone.

No such luck, though, "He would have died anyway." Setsuna said it so naturally and convincingly, that Haruka actually believed it for a moment. "One life versus many…it's always hard, but in the end the answer is simple as much as it is painful." Haruka clenched her fists; it wasn't her place to decide about other's lives, she didn't want the authority. She was responsible for herself and herself only. She risked her life on a regular basis, but that was her own decision. She never asked anyone to choose for her, why would it be different for others?

"Deal with it; it might not be the last time you have to do that." She said, dismissing the subject and Haruka's distress rather coldly, so differently from just a minute ago.

Haruka's eyes widened with surprise and anger as she turned to glare challengingly at the older woman. The tanned face remained unreadable and, unexpectedly, the blonde was forced to give up and lower her eyes. Now she was even angrier than before. She walked away to cool off before she did anything stupid.

Garnet eyes followed her, crossed by a flash of preoccupation, then settled down to the letter. It was addressed to Prof. Tomoe Souichi and had the receipt for two seats on flight Oceanic 5186 inside.

"Something's wrong." She murmured, folding the letter and putting it away as Michiru began to stir.

* * * * * * * *

An hour later, the bright sunlight had managed to wake everyone up and the camp began its day.

When a more relaxed Haruka entered the tent to pick something for Hotaru to eat, she ran into Ami. The girl stood in the middle of the tent, her eyes fixated on the now empty pallet. She seemed not have noticed Haruka's presence, and the blonde moved cautiously so as not to disturb her.

"Haruka-san, how's Hotaru-chan?" The question came unexpectedly, stopping the race car driver in her tracks.

"She's still upset, but I think she'll be okay. I was about to bring her…something to…eat..." She paused, looking down into the thermal-box, her heart stopping.

"Yeah, there's not much left, is there? The water too." Ami said, discouraged.

"We'll try to find some food, maybe fruits?" Haruka offered to reassure her.

Ami seemed to accept the idea, but then looked at her for the first time, her blue eyes sad and resigned.

"You didn't say they'll come." She said, her voice almost expressionless, "To reassure me, you didn't say not to worry, that we will be rescued in no time now." Haruka was at a loss for words. She was pretty sure Furuhata hadn't said anything, nor had she, "It's up to us and us alone, isn't it? No one's gonna come for us." Ami asked and Haruka knew the younger woman didn't know. She had simply lost hope.

"We'll find something to eat." Haruka repeated, ignoring the painful question, and left.

On her way to Hotaru, she unexpectedly ran into Michiru.

"Hey." The violinist greeted her with a wave and a joyless smile, remembering the sad night they had shared. She then noticed the package in Haruka's hand. "What will Hotaru be having for breakfast, today?" She asked, grabbing Haruka's arm and lifting it to take a look. "Mm, eggplant sandwich. Yummy!" Michiru tried to lighten Haruka's obviously bad mood by teasing her.

"It was either eggplants or spinach." She replied, knowing neither was very appealing for a child. "I'll have to lodge a complaint to the 'Thermal Box Supermarket'. They don't seem to be well supplied." She added caustically.

"We're running out of food, aren't we?" The aqua-haired woman asked, her tone now serious.

"Noooo, it's just that I think kids _love_ eggplants." The bitter sarcasm hit Michiru hard, causing her to fall silent.

"Sorry." Haruka apologized, "Too much stress for what was supposed to be a two-day trip to New York." She smiled, seeking forgiveness.

Michiru smiled back, understanding, "Yeah, and maybe too little sleep." She added, noticing the dark circles under Haruka's eyes.

"Here's your breakfast, Hime-chan." She said as they reached Setsuna and Hotaru, "I know, it's purple and apparently nothing edible, but trust me, it's not that bad." Haruka's precautionary speech was either very convincing or plainly unnecessary, because the little girl grabbed the sandwich in silence and took a bite diligently.

After a moment, still chomping on her sandwich, Hotaru blushed in embarrassment and muttered a thank you.

"You're welcome, Hime-chan." Haruka tousled the girl's black hair.

They sat in silence until Hotaru had finished, then Haruka handed her a small bottle of water.

"Don't drink it all, it has to last until tomorrow." Those words came at Michiru like stones. They could survive with little food, but they _needed_ water.

Hotaru obediently took a couple of sips and handed the bottle back to Haruka. As the blonde took it back, a soft sob broke the silence. Hotaru's little shoulders shook with her sobs and she looked up at Haruka, her cheeks damp and large tears rolling down into her shirt. Her eyes were filled with such despair that Haruka was paralyzed.

It was too much for her. Emotions always made her uncomfortable; she didn't know how to deal with it. She never knew what to say or how to say it. With Hotaru, she had simply tried to be there, though it seemed she might have failed at that too. Now, it clearly wasn't enough. Those eyes were demanding something she couldn't give. Something she felt she had helped in taking away.

"I miss him." Hotaru said in a trembling voice, "I want my papa."

At those words, Michiru instinctively glanced at Haruka, the blonde's expression painful to look at. Her teal eyes were wide, as if she was terrified by the little girl, her whole body leaning backwards and tense. Michiru knew how Haruka felt about Hotaru's father's death: responsible as she had been the one to get him sick, and that wasn't fair, because she had risked her own life to get him out of the airplane.

Michiru acted on instinct and took Hotaru in her arms and, as soon as she embraced her, the little girl broke down and cried desperately, holding the violinist tightly and shaking her head.

The violinist searched for Haruka's eyes, wanting to reassure her as well. If it had been the case, she would have held the blonde as she was holding the little girl.

Setsuna joined Michiru, whispering soothing words and caressing Hotaru's head. She, too, looked toward Haruka, trying to tear her from her dazed state, but it was Michiru's look that finally came through to her and made her move over to them.

As Hotaru felt another arm – a strong one - embrace her, she turned and buried her face into Haruka's chest and the other two women **let her** cradle the child until she had calmed down.

"I don't want to be alone..." The little girl murmured.

The blonde hugged her tightly, ignoring the throbbing pain in her shoulder, "You're not alone, Hime-chan."

"You have us. We'll be with you, don't ever doubt that." Michiru added, searching Haruka's eyes for a sign they were making that commitment together and she smiled when she saw acceptance in them.

Behind them Setsuna smiled gently, 'At least some things never change.' She thought.

* * * * * * * *

"Hey, you can't do that!" Yelling came from the back of the tent, drawing a crowd outside.

"Get out of my way, Jap." Jade glared at Yaten and stepped menacingly closer. The younger man was blocking the way, his arms outstretched.

"What's going on here?" Darien asked. Jade ignored him and pushed Yaten, sending him falling hard on the ground.

"Keep your hands off my brother!" Seiya threw himself at the long haired man, but was stopped before he could reach him by Darien and Haruka. He struggled against their hands, eventually calming down and they reluctantly released him.

"He's taking too much food." Yaten accused while Jade simply shrugged and looked towards Darien and Haruka, his gaze completely nonchalant.

"I'm hungry." He stated.

"Come on; give it back so we can all return to our activities." Darien commanded calmly.

"Fuck you, douche-bag." Jade sneered, turning to leave.

"You had better do what he says." Taiki threatened menacingly.

"I'll teach him a lesson!" Seiya said through gritted teeth.

"Give it back. Now." Haruka ordered, her tone so hard that he turned to look at her.

Their gazes locked for a moment, and then he turned to face the others. Six men and five women all angry at him, he stopped to think for a moment.

"Here, take it." He finally said, tossing the already unpacked sandwich on the sand and then left.

"Son of a-" Seiya was held back once again.

"Let him go, he's not worth it." Taiki's reasonable words needed a couple of seconds to sink in, but eventually Seiya calmed down.

Lita picked up the sandwich and tried to brush the sand off. Once she was satisfied, she replaced it into the thermal box.

"We have to do something about that." Darien said.

"Yeah, tie him up to a tree and let him dry off under the sun." Seiya said angrily.

"Seiya!" Taiki scolded. Michiru touched her friend's arm gently, calming the young man instantly.

Haruka observed the scene and massaged her shoulder, slightly strained by the effort of restraining Seiya. An unsettling feeling fell on her, but she couldn't name it. She kept looking at Michiru now exchanging words with Taiki, her hand still on Seiya's arm, and noticed that they looked very close. Haruka knew they were traveling together and she knew they were working together, but hadn't really acknowledged that intimacy.

Suddenly Seiya's eyes caught hers, challenging her as he circled Michiru's waist with his arm in what seemed to be a familiar gesture.

"We need to find some food." Haruka advised, averting her eyes from them.

"My grandfather says we should hunt the wild boars." Rei offered, the short, bald man behind her smiling and waiting for his granddaughter to translate.

"And how can we do that?" Seiya inquired directly in Japanese.

"I can do it. I just need two good runners…and a knife. I saw that _she_ has some beautiful blades." He said pointing his finger to a confused Lita. Rei translated and all eyes turned to the brunette, who was taken aback by the sudden attention. With a nervous smile, she nodded, "O-Of course."

* * * * * * * *

_"So, don't you think this is a much better way to use a knife?" The gray-haired man asked while he expertly sliced a tomato. The sharp blade cut smoothly into the red fruit in quick, firm movements. In a few seconds he had reduced the tomato into little pieces, tossing it into the big pan. A loud sizzle erupted as a delicious aroma spread into the air._

_"Oh, yes." Lita said, staring fascinated as he took another tomato."C-Can I try?"_

_The chef looked at his promising young apprentice. She was passionate and dedicated to the art of cooking and also very talented. Of course, she could be a little blunt sometimes and she needed to improve her manners and her tastes, but she had a future despite her past_.

_"Of course you can."_

_Lita took the big knife in her strong, yet young hands. The blade felt great, balanced and perfectly sharp. She began slicing a tomato with more enthusiasm than skill, but after working for a while and listening to her teacher's instructions, her technique improved and her smile broadened._

* * * * * * * *

"Seiya, are you sure?" Michiru queried, helping to fix the rucksack on her friend's back. "It's dangerous." She was stating the obvious, but no one had the courage to mention the carnage that was to be seen in the cockpit.

"I know, but we have to do this. We can't go another two days with the food we have, you know that." He replied, his voice serious, though his eyes sparkled with excitement.

Michiru knew he was right, but the idea of going back into the forest was disturbing. Also, the fact that Seiya had volunteered without hesitation bothered her even more, but that wasn't it either.

The whole thing had been unsettling: Rei's grandfather had asked for two fast runners, and Haruka had come forward saying running had been her job up through college and she was still training.

Michiru's heart had skipped a beat then, but Haruka was an athlete and everyone knew that so she couldn't protest. Then, Yuiichiro offered to go, but Seiya had stepped in firmly. Michiru could still see the challenge in his eyes as he looked at Haruka. Seiya had already fretted about the blonde's tendency to 'butt in' in every matter, and they had even almost fought over it. Michiru had realized that the more she defended Haruka, the more it upset Seiya. Why? They had barely interacted and had never even spoken to each other directly.

But even now Seiya was eying Haruka from a distance and the blonde glared back. Their childish behavior made Michiru roll her eyes in exasperation.

"This isn't a game, Seiya." She said finally, bringing his attention back to her. "We don't know what's out there, but we saw what it's capable of." She was scared for him, and in the corner of her mind she knew she was just as scared for Haruka.

"I can do it, Michiru-chan, don't worry." Seiya said. He wanted to reassure her, but was also pleased that she was expressing so much concern about him. It made him shoot a triumphant look across the camp, though no one could understand what was happening. Although he hadn't analyzed it deeply, he had been very upset by the fact that Michiru was spending so much time away. Due to their current situation, he had imagined the four of them - Michiru, his brothers and himself - drawing closer together, but instead, Michiru seemed to be drifting away.

On top of that, Haruka had crossed the line when she had stopped him from beating up Jade and Seiya couldn't forgive that.

"You act like someone had challenged you to it." He was about to protest, but was cut off. "I know that look, Seiya..." She said, and that was enough. He knew she wouldn't have accepted a lie and so he admitted what was troubling him.

"It was about _my_ brother, she had no right to interfere." He snarled.

Michiru realized he was talking about their altercation with Jade, and she noted how he hadn't mentioned Darien's interference.

"_They..._" She stressed the word, "...did you a favor. That man looks capable of anything; you don't want to get into a fight with him. It's not worth it." She retorted, admitting what she had been thinking since that morning.

"I don't care. If he messes with my brother, he'll regret it." Seiya exclaimed stubbornly. "She's always getting involved, like she's some kind of…I don't know. All I know is that we've all survived and we're doing our best to stay alive. She's nothing special. There's no hero here."

His words were unfair to say the least, and Michiru couldn't help but reply, though she knew it would incite a reaction. "I don't think that's how she feels."

"Of course you don't!" Seiya's voice raised as his anger increased, and Michiru became even more uncomfortable. He was overreacting and she had no intention of continuing the conversation.

"You know what?" She had passed the point of irritation, "You can go and get yourself killed, if that's what you want."

The harshness of her words was enough to bring Seiya back to his senses, realizing that he had been rude with no valid reason. Michiru was really worried about him and he now felt stupid about his jealousy. Michiru was his friend after all, she loved him and was always there for him. Nothing else mattered.

"I'm sorry Michiru-chan. That was out of line." He looked down at her and smiled ashamedly. "I think we're all a little overstressed."

Michiru nodded, accepting his apology and rising on her tiptoes she placed a little kiss on his cheek.

"Take care."

* * * * * * * *

"Take care." Setsuna said, but Haruka wasn't really paying attention; instead her gaze was fixed on the two figures in the distance. When she saw the woman on tiptoe leaning on the taller male, her stomach twisted.

"Haruka-san, here's the antenna. Haruka-san? Haruka-san!" The second time Furuhata called her name, he managed to get her attention.

"Oh, sorry." The blonde apologized, crossing the path of Setsuna's intense look, "What should I do with it?" She asked, dismissing the knowing look the older woman shot at her.

"Just put it on a tree when you're sufficiently deep into the woods." He said, his voice becoming anxious, "The higher the better. But no need to take risks, the signal is quite strong." He was hopeful that they could amplify the transmitter's power and not just receive, but also send out a message this time. Haruka still didn't know if his optimism was annoying or endearing, only that he had worked all night trying to arrange it, and she would make sure his work wouldn't go to waste.

"Good luck, Haruka-san." He concluded, smiling. She nodded and turned to Setsuna, but before the tanned woman could speak, someone had called her name again.

"Haruka." Michiru was walking to them quickly, her expression troubled although by the time she had reached them a soft smile graced her face.

"What?" Haruka greeted her a little colder than she had intended.

Michiru was taken aback by her tone and remained silent for a moment.

"Please, take care." She finally managed to say, the blonde's look almost intimidating. "Try to come back safe…the both of you." Haruka's eyes turned so cold that the violinist had to repress a shiver. But as fast as the look had come, it was replaced with a cocky, arrogant smile.

"Don't worry, I'll bring him back in one piece."

Michiru was surprised at the sudden change in the blonde's mood, but the pretentious, smug tone hadn't passed unnoticed. Maybe Seiya wasn't the only one feeling the rivalry.

* * * * * * * *

With the recognition of their needs, the group of survivors had started to organize. After the hunting party left, some of the girls decided to take a little trip to the edge of the forest to collect wood for the fire. At first, they were silent, mostly not sure how to make conversation. They knew next to nothing about each other, hardly knew each other's names, and were still not sure if they could trust each other.

Lita, especially, was intently watching each one of them, trying to understand their thoughts, trying to catch them looking at her nervously. There! Ami had glanced at her briefly, yes, but still…oh and Rei, that girl's dark eyes pierced through her. And the two blondes, Serena and Mina, they were whispering to each other. They were certainly talking about the freak with the knives...

'It doesn't matter how far you go, you'll always be the violent freak. You can have a new life, but you can't erase the old one...' Her inner voice admonished. 'No matter how much you've changed, they always find out eventually.'

"You all think I'm some kind of freak." She bluntly stated out loud.

The four girls turned, puzzled, looking at the tall brunette who now stood with her hand on her hips and a challenging look in her green eyes.

"Why should we think such a thing?" Mina was the first to break the long silence.

Lita looked at them again and saw confusion, realizing she had been a little paranoid. 'Great! _Now_ they think you're nuts...'

"'C-Cause of the knives and all." She stuttered, lowering her eyes. "I...I" She felt all the eyes on her, not wanting to draw attention, but she always managed to. She had always been too loud, too tall, too busty, too blunt or too aggressive. If they only knew how small and insignificant she felt inside!

"You work with them." The soft voice wasn't a question, it was a statement; neutral, calm, reassuring. Lita looked up at Ami, who smiled at her gently. The short, blue-haired girl blushed after a moment under Lita's intense gaze, and eventually even the brunette managed to smile.

"Are you a butcher or something?" Mina asked, curious.

"Actually, I'm a chef." Lita admitted.

"Wow! So you can bake cakes!?!?!" Serena said very loudly, but then covered her mouth with her hand, remembering they were running out of food. Everyone looked at her, some reproachingly, some preoccupied, making Lita feel that she had to do something.

She looked up and started walking, the others following in curiosity.

"Lita what-" Serena wanted to ask, but the brunette stopped abruptly and pointed high to the thick foliage.

"Plantains!" She exclaimed, when no one seemed to understand what she was pointing at. Their eyes lifted to look up into the trees, brightening at the sight of big, green and yellow bunches of fruits hanging from the top of the tall trees.

In less than an hour, with Yuiichiro's help, they managed to collect a sufficient amount to provide a decent meal for the entire group.

Their mood had visibly improved, and the girls found themselves chatting amiably, even laughing as if they've been long-standing friends. Lita was surprised that she could talk so freely with those strangers, finding herself even talking about her personal life, not much maybe, but still...

They seemed to trust her, to take what she offered with no judgment, no expectations. But when she thought that she could finally feel at ease, she felt something hurting inside, something that reminded her of her place.

* * * * * * * *

_"You'll come, won't you?" She stared into his dark eyes, the white sheets scattered around her, and her chestnut hair loose on the pillow. She made quite the view._

_Of course she'd never consider herself a beauty. She was tall and strongly built, never gracious, and she often scared boys instead of charming them. But now, with her bare shoulder emerging from the sheets and a contented smile on her face, she looked very feminine and beautiful. However, he wasn't looking at her. He _couldn't _look at her._

_He turned his back to her and put his clothes on. She knew he was in a hurry because he had to be at the restaurant in half an hour, but in the back of her mind, she knew that wasn't the only reason._

_She was about to leave Japan and go back home, her training had finished and he was ready for a new affair. It had been fun; she had been great, but…nothing more._

_It wasn't like people didn't like her, the problem was that she always tended to like them much more than they liked her. She always gave her heart unconditionally to people who weren't worth it._

_This was quite the masochistic behavior, but unfortunately, it was also the only way she knew. She had never been able to do things halfway, not even when she was at the institute._

_No matter how hurt, how disappointed she was._

_He was fully clothed now and this time looked at her to say good-bye. She noticed it was hard for him and she shivered, suddenly cold._

_How come they can never look at her? How come they can never seem gather the courage? Was it her? Was she that scary? Or was she just worthless?_

_He smiled at her nervously and leaned down to kiss her awkwardly on the lips. _

_"Will you come to the airport?" She asked him once again, trying to leave urgency out of her tone, but failed._

_He looked at her for a moment, thinking. "I'll try, but don't count on it. Bye." And with that, he picked up his coat and left._

_She remained there for a minute, the room suddenly silent. Sighing, she remained between the warm sheets for a moment, then stood. The cold hit her nude form as she walked to the bathroom for a shower._

_'That's it, Lita.' She said to herself, 'Just another bad choice. It's not the first one and it probably won't be the last.' She looked at herself in the misting mirror, 'Just a new scar, it's not the end of the world.' She grazed the pale mark on her stomach with her fingertips. Just another scar for her soul, one little scar to add to the others…so many others._

_She shrugged and stepped into the shower, the hot water washing away her tears._

* * * * * * * *

"Michiru-mama, look!"

No matter how many times she heard it, Michiru's heart still skipped a beat when she was called that name. After that morning outburst, Hotaru had began calling her and Setsuna: 'Mama'. Neither of them had objected, of course, and Michiru, for her part, had found that she felt exhilarated when she heard it. It seemed like they had been adopted as 'mothers,' and that alone was enough to make her head spin.

She had never thought about motherhood, not because she was young, because she wasn't. She had been mostly too engrossed in her career and she had always thought a family could get in the way.

Or maybe – she found herself thinking – because she had never had someone close enough to her heart to consider starting a family.

It was something deeper; it was the foreign feeling to have someone depend on her, that she had a responsibility that wasn't solely to herself. The feeling of being needed, of _belonging_, it was amazing.

Hotaru had her arm stretched high to let them see the elaborated shell, a proud and childish look in her purple eyes.

The two women looked at it and complimented the child who then went back to her task, leaving them a few steps behind. They had both welcomed the chance for a walk on the shore and some alone time. Setsuna seemed to be quite the loner, though she preferred the sole company of Hotaru, Michiru and Haruka. Michiru had been very preoccupied since Seiya, Haruka, and Rei's grandfather had left and she was scared and upset about Seiya's and Haruka's behavior. She had sensed some kind of rivalry between them ever since the time they first met on the plane, but believed that she had imagined it. They both had strong personalities, and the whole situation was testing their limits.

All of her thoughts were held at bay by the light conversation she had struck up with Setsuna. The older woman was genial company for the violinist. She was calm and measured, but smart and capable of sharp remarks and irony. The only thing was the unsettling feeling that Setsuna could read her mind, sometimes, like she had known her for years.

Sure, Michiru found Setsuna and Haruka the two most interesting characters of the group and wanted to know more about them. 'As long as she comes back safe...' The thought brought a shiver down her spine.

"Are you OK, Michiru-san?" The warm voice reached Michiru, tearing her from her reverie.

"Of course." She answered like she used to, trying not to give away her private thoughts.

"Is it about Seiya-san? Are you worried?" But with that woman, it was absolutely useless, she always knew and this time was no different. Yes, this time she _wasn't_ thinking about Seiya, but the hint of skepticism in Setsuna's voice and her look told Michiru that the older woman knew it perfectly well.

"Or..." Setsuna let the implication trail off as Michiru remained silent, walking slowly. Before Setsuna could stress the topic, Michiru trailed to her right and crouched down, picking up a sheet of paper half-buried in the sand.

"What is this?"

* * * * * * * *

"So? Do you think it's true?"

Darien observed the photo intently, longer than it'd be necessary to read a name on the little black board.

"Yeah. It's true." He said, his voice holding such certainty that Michiru was taken aback for a moment.

"How...?" She asked, still looking at the long-haired man in the photo.

"I know it's true because we've found the Marshal's body with his wrist still cuffed." He explained, a little surprised himself. He'd been sure they had known.

"I thought Haruka told you." He added, unprepared for Michiru's ocean blue eyes to whirl with anger.

"You mean Haruka knew?!"

* * * * * * * *

"It's a lot of bananas..." Serena chirped from behind the tall brunette. "Too bad I don't like them too much..."

"Well, I don't think you have much of a choice, Serena." Lita retorted, not bothering turn around to look at her.

"I love banana splits, though." The blonde girl said.

"And these are plantains, by the way. Not bananas." Lita seemed pensive.

"Oh!" Serena was surprised, she examined the hanging fruit inquisitively. "Can you make plantain split?" She asked, her tone serious, much to Lita surprise.

A large smile appeared on Serena's face, her light-blue eyes were dreamy and her mouth was slightly agape. Lita looked at her in disbelief.

"Oh my…Serena is thinking about ice-cream!" Mina exclaimed, "I can tell by the drool." She winked at Lita and elbowed her best-friend.

The two blondes started bickering good-naturedly, stopping abruptly when they heard the brunette's exclamation.

"Of course!" Lita had been thinking about it since the hunting party had left, she wanted to feel useful and had thought about volunteering. She was strong, but she wasn't a good runner, so she had thought about what else she had to offer: she could use a knife and she could cook, but then again, they were running out of food…until now. Now she had found some ingredients and she was absolutely determined to fix a proper meal for everybody.

"I'm gonna cook for you, and I'm gonna make it taste amazing!" She exclaimed triumphantly. The two blondes looked at her questioningly – those fruits didn't look too tasty, though they were a wonderful alternative to starving.

"I'm sure I saw something during the luggage raid. I didn't collect it at the time because I thought it was useless but..." Lita mumbled, obviously trying to recollect the memory.

She asked everyone around the camp, and even went back to the pile of luggage they had searched. Nothing. But she was absolutely sure she had seen the small package. Actually, she had smelled it first: the strong odor of spices. It had to be somewhere.

After a while, she concluded someone must have taken it and there was only one shady enough to be the culprit.

Lita approached the long-haired man who lay under a tree reading a book. He had made a sort of pallet with some towels and had an open suitcase beside him that was full of various items, probably collected from different baggage. She examined it from a distance and immediately recognized what she was looking for.

"Is that your suitcase?" She said, already knowing it wasn't.

"It is now." He answered, not even bothering to lie.

"I need that." She said stretching out her hand to pick the package, its strong fragrance permeating the air.

BLAM!

Thanks to her reflexes, she managed to withdraw her hand from the suitcase just in time, narrowly avoiding losing her fingers. He had slammed the lid violently and now was looking at her with an evil grin, shaking his finger in admonishment.

"Are you insane?" She yelled, incredulous. He could have chopped off her hand!

"What you think you're doing?" He asked calmly.

"I want to arrange a meal for the group." Lita replied, hardly keeping her voice down.

"But that's mine, you see. Why would I want to give it to you?" He shot back, his fake smile making him look even creepier.

"Because it's for the community and you don't need it, do you?" She answered, though she had realized what was happening. He had no intention of giving her the spices, but was enjoying the little power game. Lita glared at him in annoyance, her temper flaring.

"What will I have in return?" He asked, still smiling, but now his steel eyes flashed dangerously. "Nothing's for free here."

Lita wasn't afraid of Jade, but she had also realized what sort of man he was and though she knew how to deal with him, she didn't like it.

"I won't pay you for something that doesn't even belong to you. You can count on that." She snapped, holding his gaze.

"Too bad, honey." He winked at her, knowing he was irritating her, "Then you won't have it…you can count on that." He replied mockingly, returning to his pallet and book.

Lita remained where she was for a moment, staring at him. She realized that she was fighting a losing game, and walked back towards the girls.

When she returned to the others, her upset expression was noticed by everyone. Serena's attempt to make her tell what had happened failed miserably, and she was silenced by a glare from the fuming brunette.

An hour passed before Ami could quietly approach Lita and convince her to rejoin the others. Lita had calmed down by then, but had been tempted to brush off Ami bluntly when she felt the blue-haired girl sitting next to her. Instead, she was surprised as Ami sat and remained silent, not bothering her, rather, waiting for Lita to break the silence. And she did, after a while, telling Ami what had just happened and more. She told the doctor-in-training about her stay in Japan, about her job and even about _that_ morning; the one where she had left Tokyo. She told Ami about how happy she had been when they told her she needed to stay in Japan for one more day, how the mere thought of spending one more night with him was exciting, and then how sad she had been when she realized he wouldn't come to the airport to say goodbye. She had even shed a tear. Just one solitary tear had rolled down her cheek and she was grateful to the young doctor for not mentioning it.

After her tale, she was ready to join the group, no longer angry or sad, instead there was a big smile on her face and renewed enthusiasm. She turned to Ami and mouthed a silent 'thank you'.

No one said anything in particular to her, only continued talking with the occasional glance from Serena, reminding Lita that she had been a little rude with them. She decided she would make amends by arranging their meal and trying to be as friendly as she could, at least as much as they were to her.

They were talking rather amiably when she caught a glimpse of a movement in the corner of her eye. "What the hell you think you're doing?" Lita stood up abruptly and glared towards the pile of fruit they had collected with flaming eyes.

"I'm helping myself." Jade's rough voice showed no sign of intimidation, despite the brunette's tone and glare.

"No, you're not." Her voice now held the hint of a threat. The atmosphere suddenly became icy cold, no one daring to speak or make any sound.

"Listen to me little girl, you're not the one to give permissions here. No one is. So don't bother glaring at me like that. I'm not scared and you're not convincing." His tone had passed from cold to menacing in a single instant. He turned again and moved to pick up one of the plantains.

"She's rather convincing to me. Check out the look in her eyes, it gives me the creeps." Serena whispered to Mina, shivering.

"If you want that, you know what I want in exchange." Lita said firmly, her hands on her hips.

The long haired man smiled mockingly, chose one of the green fruits, and grabbed it.

"Maybe next time, little girl." He taunted, smirking. And then they all heard the hiss and thunk of something hitting an object hard. "Oh, shit!" Jade exclaimed in surprise, jumping back and looking at Lita with wide eyes. He then looked down where his hand had been a couple of seconds before, finding a big knife sticking out of the plantain he had just been holding.

All the girls gasped as their eyes saw the same thing, Serena stifling a small cry by putting her hand on her mouth. Lita stood there, glaring at the long-haired man with frightening intensity.

Serena's stifled cry caught Darien's attention, sending him running towards them, followed by Michiru and Setsuna. When they arrived, they didn't notice the knife at first, their attention directed at Lita as her firm, menacing tone cut through the air.

"Do you think I'm scared of you? I know guys like you and I know you only understand one language." She glanced meaningfully at the knife, its black handle clearly visible against the green fruits. "Now, if you want one of those, you know what you have to do, and if you don't, you can crawl back under your stone." She hissed.

Jade stared at her for a long time, his gray eyes flashing with anger. Everyone held their breath, surprised when he turned and left with empty hands.

"Someone want one?" Lita asked cheerfully, picking up one of the fruits and retrieving her knife.

* * * * * * * *

_"Hey, you! Leave her alone!" Lita ran to the secluded corner of the big courtyard. When she arrived, the three boys, no older than twelve, turned and glared at her, behind them a crouching little girl, trembling against the stained, ruined wall._

_"Why don't you guys try messing with someone your age, huh? She's just a kid." Lita scolded. The little girl looked up, her eyes clouded with tears and her clothes torn and dirty._

_"Mind your own business, freak!" One of the boys, the biggest, spat, turning his back to her, dismissing the interruption. But that was a fatal mistake._

_Lita grabbed him by his shoulder and threw him to the ground, turning to the other two just as one made his move, quickly receiving a swift punch in the stomach. The third one withdrew slowly, obviously scared. Suddenly, however, he smirked, Lita was surprised by his sudden boldness, but continued to move closer, her fists clenched and ready to strike. The boy didn't try to escape, instead, he stood tall, his grin widening._

_"You had better get lost before it gets nasty." He sneered. Lita smiled, he wasn't much of a challenge for her. He was smaller and looked rather weak and unparticularly dexterous._

_"Oh? Is that a threat? Are you threatening me?" She asked mockingly._

_"No, it's just good advice." He challenged, now walking towards her, "Don't tell me I didn't warn you!" He said and looked over her shoulder._

_Lita immediately got the hint and turned around just in time to see the bigger boy now standing again with a wide smirk. Two against one, but she could take them._

_The brunette girl decided to engage the bigger one first, closing the distance between them. Suddenly the little girl on the ground shouted._

_"NO!" Lita saw the flash of metal, "He has a knife!" The girl's words came too late. The larger boy jumped at her incredibly fast, and though Lita tried to dodge the attack, the blade penetrated deeply into her left side. Lita staggered, the blinding pain taking a few seconds before shooting through her entire body, sending her to the ground near the little girl, clenching her side._

_The larger boy winked at them as he and his lackeys ran. "We're not done with you!" Then, they were gone._

_Lita lay on the ground, lifting her hand to look at the enlarging crimson stain on her shirt. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last._

_She was used to it ever since she was a little kid and her parents died, leaving her in the 'System'. She had been in different institutes and foster homes, she had met kids like those several times, and she knew how to deal with them._

* * * * * * * *

"Hush. Here she is..." After an hour of walking, the short bald man stopped, pointing at the boar in the distance. He took cover behind a bush and gestured them to do the same.

"Are you ready?" He whispered. Haruka and Seiya nodded.

They had put together a plan of sorts. Haruka and Seiya were to flank the boar and attack from both sides while, at the same time, Rei's grandfather attacked from behind with the knife. It wasn't much of a plan, and they weren't sure it could work, but they were desperate enough to try.

At least, that was what Haruka believed, though she gulped in fear as she got closer to the animal and got a glimpse of its big yellow tusks. Seiya noticed her tense expression and smiled.

"Are you scared, Tenoh?" He whispered, "Or do you just not have your usual audience of pretty girls?"

Haruka was about to reply in the rudest way possible, when the old man gestured at them to hurry. She had to settle for an old-fashioned piercing glare before going to the right.

Once in their positions, they stood to get the animal's attention. The boar lifted its head swiftly, looking first at Haruka, then Seiya. As the old man had predicted, the animal stalled, not sure who to attack first, giving the old man the chance to get closer from behind.

The boar moved, unfortunately for Seiya, choosing to charge him instead of Haruka. As soon as realization hit, he turned and ran, but it wasn't easy to run through the thick vegetation and soon the boar was closing in. Haruka reacted immediately, launching herself in pursuit of the two. It didn't take her long to reach them, and she began to shout, hoping to scare the beast away. Sadly, all she managed to do was agitate it further. Suddenly, Seiya tripped and fell to the ground, now at full mercy of the raging animal. Haruka leapt and tried to push him away from the boar's trajectory, unfortunately, she was too late and the animal's tusks slammed into the young man, cutting into his leg.

The boar didn't even stop after its attack, running away into the foliage as the elderly Shinto priest ran towards them, panting.

"Fortunately, it just grazed you. If you'd been given the whole blow…I don't want to think about that." The elder mumbled, checking on Seiya's leg. The black-haired young man gulped.

"Thanks for the information, but it still hurts." Seiya hissed in pain.

"Oh, come on, don't be such a cry-baby." Haruka scoffed with great satisfaction.

Seiya huffed, shooting an angry glare at the annoying blonde.

"I think it's better for him to go see the doctor." Rei's grandfather advised. He and Haruka helped Seiya stand, but when he was on his feet again Haruka remembered that they had another task to accomplish. Leaving the old man to carry Seiya for a moment, she took Furuhata's device out of her rucksack and climbed swiftly up a solid tree, securing it to a branch with a leather belt.

* * * * * * * *

Seiya and Haruka proceeded slowly along the uncleared path. It was difficult trying to minimize the strain for the man's injured leg. They had used a shred of his shirt as a tourniquet, but still had to hurry back to the beach. The cut was deep enough for him to bleed profusely, but fortunately not enough to pierce an artery.

At first, Seiya had made little use of Haruka for support. She had reminded him just once, and then it was up to him. He was the one in pain; if he wanted to be stubborn, it wasn't her problem. Although after a while, he started to lean against her more and more and soon they were both panting inexertion.

"You need a break." Haruka announced in a tone that wasn't open to objection. They sat down on two large rocks opposite one another.

Though he would never have admitted it, Seiya was grateful for the rest; his leg hurt and the other one was sore from the extra effort. He closed his eyes for a moment, expecting some sarcastic remark from Haruka. When it didn't come, he re-opened them and looked at the tall woman in front of him. He didn't like her, that was for sure, but he couldn't exactly explain why.

Yes, she was a little too friendly with Michiru and he knew from the newspapers that she was openly gay, but that wasn't enough. Michiru had hundreds of suitors. Maybe it was the fact that Michiru seemed to appreciate the blonde's company.

He felt some kind of competition with Haruka, he felt compelled to prove himself. Just like with Yaten. But maybe _that_ was something else. What was going on with his brothers was something much deeper than some petty jealousy. And Michiru... well, Michiru was definitely straight; he had no need to worry.

Haruka hadn't liked to be the first in need of a break and had tried to make it look like she was actually letting _Seiya_ rest. But in reality, she was exhausted and her shoulder still hurt. He wasn't exactly light, he was a well built man and she wasn't at the top of her game. She hadn't slept much since…well, since before the plane crash, since the damned phone call.

She glanced at her companion. He had his eyes closed and seemed to enjoy the break. Looking at him intently, he was, in fact, handsome – 'If you're one to like those kind of things,' she thought – maybe he was even charming – 'If you like arrogant, cocky people...'

Well, she didn't. So she didn't like _him_. But Michiru did…a lot. Haruka shivered, remembering the violinist on her tiptoes leaning to him...

'Get a grip of yourself!' She silently scolded herself for indulging in such thoughts.

'It's not like you're envious, is it?' Her inner voice's mocking tone was annoying.

'Why the hell should I be envious of that _baka_?' She replied to her conscience. These inner conversations were becoming more and more frequent in her tired mind.

'No reason...' The sarcasm was really starting to piss her off.

'Oh, shut up!' How could someone argue with themselves? It wasn't normal…it was insane.

'No reason…You don't like her, right? You don't even see her, or listen to her, right? Right?!' She shook her head annoyed, and begun to absently massage her sore shoulder.

"Weren't you injured?" The loud question brought her back to reality.

"It's nothing."

Seiya decided he had tried enough to be polite and simply shrugged. The sudden movement sent waves of pain to his leg and he winced. Haruka noticed, kneeling down in front of him.

"Let me take a look." She touched his leg delicately, much to his surprise. He hadn't expected her to be gentle. She seemed to be a hard person, tough, but now that she was that close and unaware of him observing her, he could clearly make out her feminine features. Her hands were long and delicate. Despite her body being athletic and muscular, she had everything a woman was supposed to have. He shook his head. That didn't mean he liked her, but he could see her in a different light.

"What are you staring at, baka?" Oh no, he could never like her - in that or any other way!

"I wasn't thinking about you, moron!" He replied, but his fiery cheeks betrayed him.

"It'd better be the truth." Haruka mumbled, taking his leg and placing it on her lifted knee. "I need to change the bandage, it's already soaked." She informed him, uncovering the gash and tearing another piece of his expensive shirt.

"Hey!" He complained, but was ignored as she carefully proceeded so as not to hurt him.

Seiya had protested out of habit. It wasn't like he cared about the shirt; he had just wanted to give her a hard time. He thought about all the walking they still had to do and groaned.

"Don't make a fuss!" She commented briskly, obviously thinking she had hurt him.

He hadn't even acknowledged her comment, a sweet thought making its way into his mind.

He was injured, and he was just picturing in his head what would happen once they returned to the camp. People gathering around him concerned, people like _Michiru_. She was worried when they had left, and now she would have to take care of him. And maybe, just maybe, he could have the chance of getting closer to her this time. Yeah, that was a fine thought for the road.

"What are you smiling at, baka?" Haruka couldn't help but be rude; Seiya was staring into space with an idiotic grin on his face.

"Nothing that concerns you." He snapped, but the smile didn't leave his face.

"We'd better get going, it's getting late and you're not exactly _speedy_." She said, offering him her right hand to help him stand. He looked at it at first, annoyed for her remark, and then he noticed for the first time the dirty cloth around her fist.

"What have you done?" He asked, nodding to the hand he refused to take standing up. However, he circled her shoulders with his arm for support, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, that." She shrugged, "Nothing, I just had some trouble with a tree." She said, her eyes looking in the distance. A dark feeling began creeping in her heart at the memory of the day before.

* * * * * * * *

It was mid-afternoon when the exhausted Haruka and Seiya finally made it to the beach and headed off to the doctor.

The blue-haired woman attended Seiya's wound in the presence of the two mocking brothers and a worried Michiru. The violinist had seemed very upset since that morning, especially when she and Setsuna had found Jade's mugshot. But then, there had been the confrontation between the convict and the tall brunette chef, and everyone seemed a bit more relaxed knowing there was someone who could stand up to him. Everyone except the aqua-haired woman who was becoming sulkier and sulkier, and her mood hadn't improved even when the doctor assured them that Seiya was going to be perfectly fine in a couple of days.

In the meantime, Haruka had waited at the back of the tent, silent. Something was wrong; Michiru hadn't even acknowledged her presence. She hadn't spoken to her; she hadn't asked anything, only once had she looked at Haruka, her blue eyes icy cold.

Haruka finally exited the tent, unable to bear the restless feeling in her heart. What happened? Why was Michiru mad at her? It couldn't be about Seiya, could it? It was just a scratch…okay, she cared about him, but this was just ridiculous!

"Haruka-papa! You're back!" Hotaru literally jumped into her arms bringing her back to reality and managing to bring a surprised smile on her face too.

'Haruka-_papa_?!?'

* * * * * * * *

The forest was oddly silent. No noises for at least five minutes, now. Even his prey had stopped in its tracks, grunting. Only the wind continued blowing through the foliage gently.

The dark-furred animal had its head high, sniffing the air and its small ears stretching in a particular direction, listening to something only it could hear.

The man stopped behind a bush. He had wasted almost two hours tracking down the stubborn animal again and he didn't want to let it go, but he knew silence was never a good sign in a forest. So he wasn't surprised when he heard rustling getting closer and closer at a very fast pace, his heart accelerating. He was scared.

The boar ran on instinct to save its life, but the predator was faster and in a blur of dark colors, the groaning and grunting and desperate cries of the animal ceased.

The carcass flew in the air and landed with a dull thud right beside the man's feet. Then, the groan got closer and closer as beads of sweat ran down his spine, the hand that clutched the big knife trembled. Maybe if he could stay still, perfectly still...

Maybe.

* * * * * * * *

The afternoon was drawing to a close and with the unexpected meal provided by the plantains, the mood had improved dramatically at the beach. For almost everyone.

Haruka was quite concerned about the old Shinto priest, though she knew it was still early to actually be worried. On top of that, Michiru was very cold even in Hotaru's presence. Haruka was confused, she didn't know what was happening and she was fighting the urge to go ask for an explanation. She couldn't mistake the violinist's glares and the deliberate disregard for her, Michiru was definitely mad and Haruka couldn't think of the reason.

Was it about Seiya's injury?

The image of the affectionate departing between the two of them was still lingering in her mind. But she couldn't picture Michiru overreacting on a minor injury like Seiya's.

'And it's not your fault, by the way. He's a moron!' Her inner voice was unexpectedly reassuring.

Nonetheless, the thought of Michiru being angry at her was unsettling. 'Then go and ask her. You'll make a fool of yourself.' The voice said sarcastically, 'I know you are a fool anyway.'

Great! She was being mocked and insulted by her own mind. She closed her bloodshot eyes and took a big breath.

"I do need to get some sleep." She murmured.

Setsuna, who was going through Tomoe's notes, lifted her head and glanced at the blonde, puzzled.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was thinking out loud." Haruka's head began to hurt and she sighed, massaging her temples. The older woman frowned at her.

"You know what's going on, don't you?" Haruka asked, not even looking at Setsuna. "You know everything all the time." Her statement was bitter, she felt frustrated and exasperated.

"What are you talking ab...?" Before Setsuna could even finish her sentence, Haruka stood.

"Never mind." She concluded, waving her hand in dismissal, She was about to lose her temper and she didn't want to make a scene, so she walked away.

That wasn't her, all that sitting, guessing, and thinking. Waiting for people to explain, being patient. That wasn't her.

Something was wrong and she wanted to know what it was, so the simplest thing to do was to ask the person concerned.

* * * * * * * *

Michiru was upset. No, she was _pissed_. Really pissed. Not to mention disappointed and frustrated.

She had been scared since the crash, but now she was mad and for a very specific reason.

She was mad at _her_.

She felt betrayed and she felt like a fool. And for that, she was even angrier at herself. She had let a perfect stranger fool her.

She didn't know if it was frustration, tiredness, or rage to bring tears to the corner of her eyes, but she knew she had to blink them away to deter Seiya. He was about to question her when she excused herself and walked away, trying to calm down.

She walked along the shore for a while, taking deep breaths and cooling down in the evening breeze, listening to the soothing sound of the shore.

That helped. The sea had always helped her calm down, it let her disconnect from the world outside and connect to her inner self, her emotions, her thoughts.

She had just recomposed herself when she saw someone approaching, someone she did not want to see at the moment.

Haruka had watched Michiru from a distance, she had noticed the turmoil in her behavior, even glimpsed it in her ocean blue eyes - when she had been close enough -but now, she was presented with a much colder version of Michiru and couldn't help but flinch.

Stiffened shoulders, cold look, hard voice, the violinist seemed much more like the aloof, snobbish person the magazines showed.

"What do you want Haruka-san?" To the very tired and frustrated Haruka, Michiru's words sounded like sharp blades slicing her to Pieces. Why? Why was Michiru mad at her? She massaged her pulsing temples, her headache getting worse by the minute.

"I…I'm sorry." She couldn't think straight, and before she could prevent it, the words were out of her mouth.

'Oh my God, you did it! You apologized. You _never_ apologize, not even when you're actually wrong!' Haruka's inner voice protested.

"Great! She's _sorry_!" Michiru's bitter laugh felt like a punch in the stomach, "I thought we were friends, but I was obviously wrong." The aqua-haired woman sounded…hurt. But by what? It couldn't be because of Seiya, no, it was something else.

"Of course we're friends..." Haruka was in total darkness, but she felt compelled to stress that point.

"Oh no…No, no, no, you lied to me! I trusted you and you lied to me!" Michiru couldn't keep her cold demeanor any more. She was so hurt by the blonde, she couldn't even start to consider why. She wouldn't dare.

"What are you talking about?!" Now Haruka too had raised her voice.

"I found an interesting photograph, this morning." Michiru started, her voice dripping venom. "Of that Jade." Her look was accusing, but Haruka couldn't understand why. "I found his mugshot!" Now Michiru was literally yelling. Fortunately they were far enough from the others, although Setsuna was watching intently from her spot.

"What...? You mean…Jade's the convict?" And then Haruka realized that she hadn't talked with Michiru about it. At first, she hadn't wanted to spread panic and then it happened: the journey to the cockpit, the strange interceptions, Hotaru's father's death, and she had forgotten about the Marshal and his hypothetical captive.

Now, as she looked at the enraged woman in front of her, Haruka knew there was nothing she could have said to justify herself. Nothing could be accepted by Michiru, she was too upset at the moment.

The only thing she could think to do was to apologize again, but she hadn't got the chance, because Michiru spoke again.

"You don't trust me." The statement was bitter. "You have never trusted me."

Haruka tried to protest, but she was cut off. "I even asked you once and you didn't answer me."

That was right, Haruka had been asked. And she was right; Haruka had a hard time trusting people, but...

"You talk to me and make me think I can get close to you. But no one can, right? No one's worth Haruka Tenoh's trust." The words and their tone were so harsh that Michiru thought she saw Haruka shiver, but at the moment, she didn't care. She had intended to be cruel; she had intended to hurt her like she had been hurt.

Haruka was shocked. How could she say those things? After all that happened in the past two days…how could she?

The blonde felt rage rising in her heart, she had broken all her rules and principles, and she had let that woman get closer than anyone. A stranger. And that was what it had brought her: hostility, accusations, hurt.

"You should have told me." Michiru stated.

Haruka closed her eyes, her head threatening to explode. She didn't need that now. She didn't.

"I didn't know I was under any kind of obligation to you." Her voice was so hard and cold that Michiru had to suppress the urge to shiver. The blonde turned and walked away, leaving a panting Michiru behind, even more upset by their fight itself than the reason they started it in the first place.

* * * * * * * *

Just as the sun was about to disappear beneath the horizon, Rei's grandfather returned to the camp, dragging the heavy carcass of a boar behind him.

Haruka couldn't help but smile at the view of the short man returning triumphantly with his prey, despite her dark mood. She observed from afar, wanting to be sure he was alright, but she didn't approach the main group, not wanting to run into Michiru or an inquisitive Hotaru, who had immediately realized her 'Mama' and 'Papa' had had a fight.

Michiru was in an equally bad mood and was trying to keep a nonchalant facade, but it was getting hard to do so with Seiya being needy for her attention and Hotaru constantly asking her about Haruka.

The rest of the group had greeted the old man – and his prey - cheerfully, the big animal able to provide them food for several days and giving them the hope for more in the future.

Lita had immediately been put in charge of the preparation of a real meal. She had Ami, Rei, and Mina to help her and Serena to be in the way and provide laughing material for everyone.

After dinner, they all sat around the fire – with the exception of Jade and Haruka – chatting cheerfully.

Hotaru suddenly looked up at Setsuna's garnet eyes and talked with such seriousness, that Setsuna couldn't help but smile at her, "I'm worried. Where is Haruka-papa? She hasn't even eaten." It was one of those moments when the little girl seemed so much older and wiser than she looked.

"You don't have to worry, Hotaru-chan, sometimes grownups have to be alone. She'll eat when she'll feel like it."

"But she has to be hungry!" The dark-haired girl protested, "I've never seen her eating…or sleeping. Do you think she could be sleeping right now?" The purple eyes sparkled as Setsuna was taken aback by her perceptiveness.

"Well…maybe…maybe." Setsuna's skeptical tone didn't fool Hotaru, who had her little brows furrowed cutely.

"They shouldn't fight." Another extremely sharp observation from the young girl, and another knowing smile from the tanned woman. Setsuna looked at Michiru, who sat next to Seiya, pretending to have fun, noticing that none of her smiles ever reached her eyes, and then she turned towards the darkness enveloping the beach and sighed.

"You're right, Hotaru-chan, they're not supposed to fight."

"So, Grandpa! Tell us how you were able to kill the poor animal." Seiya asked cheerfully, getting everybody's attention, "It looks like you're some kind of Rambo, and me and the snobby racer were just getting in the way!" He made everyone laugh.

"Well…It wasn't just me you know..." He blushed furiously, oddly embarrassed, letting Rei translate his words, "…I had help, you know..."

"Help? By who? Did Santa give it to you?" Yaten's sarcasm fell unnoticed by the group.

"Well…I…I…" He gulped, "I had the knife! I couldn't have done the job without it!" He concluded quickly as his face turned an even deeper shade of red.

End chapter 4.

**Author's note**: You can't even try to imagine how many times I've rewritten this chapter. It never looks right to me, and the reason is because I really like Makoto's character and I never seem to be right to her.

I need to thank both the beta readers who worked on this chapter, Getto-Kunoichi and Calaeris.

I also want to thank everyone who took the time to leave a review, it's always amazing what reviews do to a writer's mood... but I'm sure you all know that! ;)

Thank you all for reading, see you next chapter!


	5. You can trust me

**LOST WITH YOU**

by brada_m

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters. I really don't.

**Rating**: **M** for language, violence and... to be on the safe side anyway.

**Setting**: **AU**

**CHAPTER 4**

**- YOU CAN TRUST ME -**

* * * * * * * *

**Tokyo airport, 9.26 AM.**

_It wasn't raining that day. But it should have been. There should have been rain washing the streets, dousing cars, staining that window. There should have been rain pouring on the city to match the tears on her cheeks, rolling down her neck and soaking the collar of her shirt. It always rains in the movies when the heroine is sad. She can cry and her tears mix up with raindrops and no one will care._

_'But it's not a movie.' She thought, chuckling. 'If this was a movie, then he'll arrive and we'll end up kissing in the rain with background music.' The tall brunette laughed bitterly at her own ridiculous thoughts._

_People who passed glanced suspiciously at the lone tall girl crying and laughing at the same time, quickening their pace._

_'There's nothing to laugh at. You've let someone fool you again. He won't come... it was foolish enough to think he would have in the first place.' Her inner voice was harsh as usual, but she needed it, she needed to be reminded that you can't trust people, no matter how much you want to._

_Nevertheless, she couldn't help feeling that way, she had to wait until the end, and she couldn't give up hope._

_'If I stay till the end, then it won't be my fault...' She whispered to herself. Looking up, she could see her image reflected on the wide window, her cheeks streaked with tears, her wet green eyes scanning everyone walking through the entrance._

* * * * * * * *

**An island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, present.**

"There's something there!" Umino whispered, standing very cautiously. He put on his thick glasses and looked towards the general direction of the noise that had woken him. He saw bushes shaking, but couldn't tell what was causing it in the dim light of impending dawn, and he wasn't too eager to go and check either. The tale of the journey to the cockpit had been enough to scare everyone into not going near the woods if not necessary.

Fortunately, Umino hadn't been the only one woken by the noise. Seiya and Darien had joined him silently. The three remained still and waited, and soon the bushes near the airframe shook again.

"What do we do?" Seiya whispered to Darien.

The short haired man didn't answer, his eyes fixed on the bushes. Seiya couldn't tell if he was thinking or petrified by terror. Then, Darien turned and glanced at his girlfriend's sleeping form, obviously unsure on what to do.

_GRUNT GRUNT_

A cold sweat ran down the three men's backs and they were really petrified.

"They're probably more scared of you, than you're scared of them."

The three men literally jumped at the voice, even though Darien couldn't understand what had been said, his Japanese being still weak.

The short, bald man approached them from behind and grinned. He was walking out the forest fixing his clothes. They looked at him, still shocked, while he returned their stare in amusement. His mocking expression was starting to annoy Seiya.

"It's not what you think it is, but I suggest not to go anywhere near them. The mother could get a little touchy..." He said, chuckling and walked off, leaving the three younger men even more confused.

_GRUNT GRUNT GRUNT_

Then something brownish came out of the woods and scampered to the wrecked airframe. The three men yelped in surprise, scattering until they realized it was some sort of furry…pig?

"Wild hogs." Umino stated as they counted five, one was big, – probably the mother – and four were little cubs with striped backs and no tusks.

"How cute!!" Serena's high-pitched, but still sleepy voice came from behind them, making them turn in surprise.

"Surely you weren't scared by a bunch of little puppies, were you?" Mina said with a suggestive tone that made the three men blush in embarrassment and she and Serena burst out in laughter.

* * * * * * * *

The first rays of the morning sun filtered between the palm leaves and found Haruka standing, she hadn't get any sleep last night, after Tomoe died. Now, she was watching Hotaru sleeping peacefully – at last – nestled against an also sleeping Michiru. The view was very sweet, but there was no smile on Haruka's face. Her brows were furrowed in a deep frown, her lips a thin line and her eyes red rimmed and anguished.

"It's hard." It could have been the wind itself to say that, maybe it was just a voice in her head, her tired mind playing tricks, but when the voice spoke again, she couldn't deny its existence.

"It's hard when you have to stick around and make decisions, isn't it?" Setsuna said and Haruka started at her words, "Sometimes, it's necessary." She stated with a little understanding in her voice.

Haruka was too tired to dwell on the fact that that woman always knew what was in her mind. She was too tired to try and answer, so she remained silent hoping the green-haired woman take the hint and leave her alone.

No such luck, though, "He would have died anyway." Setsuna said it so naturally and convincingly, that Haruka actually believed it for a moment. "One life versus many…it's always hard, but in the end the answer is simple as much as painful." Haruka clenched her fists; it wasn't her place to choose about other's lives, she didn't want the authority. She was responsible for herself and herself only. She risked her life on a regular basis, but that was her own decision. She never asked anyone to choose for her, why would it be different for others?

"Deal with it; it might not be the last time you have to do that." She said, dismissing the subject and Haruka's distress rather coldly, so differently from just a minute ago.

Haruka's eyes widened with surprise and anger as she turned to glare challengingly at the older woman. The tanned face remained unreadable and, unexpectedly, the blonde was forced to give up and lower her eyes. Now she was even angrier than before.. She walked away to cool off before doing anything stupid.

Garnet eyes followed her, crossed by a flash of preoccupation, then settled down to the letter. It was addressed to Prof. Tomoe Souichi and had the receipt for two seats on flight Oceanic 5186 inside.

"Something's wrong." She murmured, folding the letter and putting it away as Michiru begun to stir at her feet.

* * * * * * * *

An hour later, the bright sunlight had managed to wake everyone up and the camp begun its day.

When a more relaxed Haruka entered the tent to pick something for Hotaru to eat, she ran into Ami. The girl stood in the middle of the tent, her eyes fixated on the now empty pallet. She seemed not have noticed Haruka's presence, and the blonde moved cautiously so as not to disturb her.

"Haruka-san, how's Hotaru-chan?" The question came unexpectedly, stopping the race car driver in her tracks.

"She's still upset, but I think she'll be okay. I was about to bring her…something to…eat..." She paused, looking down into the thermal-box, her heart stopping.

"Yeah, there's not much left, is there? The water too." Ami said, discouraged.

"We'll try to find some food, maybe fruits?" Haruka offered to reassure her.

Ami seemed to accept the idea, but then looked at her for the first time, her blue eyes sad and resigned.

"You didn't say they'll come." She said, her voice almost expressionless, "To reassure me, you didn't say not to worry, that we will be rescued in no time, now." Haruka was at a loss for words. She was pretty sure Furuhata hadn't said anything, nor had she, "It's up to us and us only, isn't it? No one's gonna come for us." Ami asked and Haruka knew the younger woman didn't know, she had simply lost hope.

"We'll find something to eat." Haruka repeated, ignoring the painful question, and left.

On her way to Hotaru, she unexpectedly ran into Michiru.

"Hey." The violinist greeted her with a wave and a joyless smile, remembering the sad night they had shared. She then noticed the package in Haruka's hand. "What will Hotaru be having for breakfast, today?" She asked, grabbing Haruka's arm and lifting it to take a look. "Mm, eggplant sandwich. Yummy!" Michiru tried to lighten Haruka's obviously bad mood by teasing her.

"It was either eggplants or spinach." She replied, knowing neither was very appealing for a child. "I'll have to lodge a complaint to the 'Thermal Box Supermarket'. They don't seem to be well supplied." She added caustically.

"We're running out of food, aren't we?" The aqua-haired woman asked, her tone now serious.

"Noooo, it's just that I think kids _love_ eggplants." The bitter sarcasm hit Michiru hard, causing her to fall silent.

"Sorry." Haruka apologized, "Too much stress for what was supposed to be a two-day trip to New York." She smiled, seeking forgiveness.

Michiru smiled back, understanding, "Yeah, and maybe too little sleep." She added, noticing the dark circles under Haruka's eyes.

"Here's your breakfast, Hime-chan." She said as they reached Setsuna and Hotaru, "I know, it's purple and apparently nothing edible, but trust me, it's not that bad." Haruka's precautionary speech was either very convincing or plainly unnecessary, because the little girl grabbed the sandwich in silence and took a bite diligently.

After a moment, still chomping on her sandwich, Hotaru blushed in embarrassment and muttered a thank you.

"You're welcome, Hime-chan." Haruka tousled the girl's black hair.

They sat in silence until Hotaru had finished, then Haruka handed her a small bottle of water.

"Don't drink it all, it has to last until tomorrow." Those words came at Michiru like stones. They could survive with little food, but they _needed_ water.

Hotaru obediently took a couple of sips and handed the bottle back to Haruka. As the blonde took it back, a soft sob broke the silence. Hotaru's little shoulders shook with her sobs and she looked up at Haruka, her cheeks damp and large tears rolling down into her shirt. Her eyes were filled with such despair that Haruka was paralyzed.

It was too much for her. Emotions always made her uncomfortable; she didn't know how to deal with it. She never knew what to say or how to say it. With Hotaru, she had simply tried to be there, though it seemed she might have failed at that too. Now, it clearly wasn't enough. Those eyes were demanding something she couldn't give. Something she felt she had helped in taking away.

"I miss him." She said in a trembling voice, "I want my papa."

At those words, Michiru instinctively glanced at Haruka, the blonde's expression painful to look at. Her teal eyes were wide, as if she was terrified by the little girl, her whole body leaning backwards and tense. Michiru knew how Haruka felt about Hotaru's father's death: responsible as she had been the one to get him sick, and that wasn't fair, because she had risked her own life to get him out of the plane.

Michiru acted on instinct and took Hotaru in her arms and, as soon as she embraced her, the little girl broke down and cried desperately, holding the violinist tightly and shaking her head.

The violinist searched for Haruka's eyes, wanting to reassure her as well. If it had been the case, she would have held the blonde as she was holding the little girl.

Setsuna joined Michiru, whispering soothing words and caressing Hotaru's head. She, too, looked toward Haruka, trying to tear her from her dazed state, but it was Michiru's look that finally came through to her and made her move over to them.

As Hotaru felt another arm – a strong one - embrace her, she turned and buried her face into Haruka's chest and the other two women let her cradle the child until she had calmed down.

"I don't want to be alone..." The little girl murmured.

The blonde hugged her tightly, ignoring the throbbing pain in her shoulder, "You're not alone, Hime-chan."

"You have us. We'll be with you, don't ever doubt that." Michiru added, searching Haruka's eyes for a sign they were making that commitment together and she smiled when she saw acceptance in them.

Behind them Setsuna smiled gently, 'At least some things never change.' She thought.

* * * * * * * *

"Hey, you can't do that!" Yelling came from the back of the tent, drawing a crowd outside.

"Get out of my way, Jap." Jade glared at Yaten and stepped menacingly closer. The younger man was blocking the way, his arms outstretched.

"What's going on here?" Darien asked. Jade ignored him and pushed Yaten, sending him falling hard on the ground.

"Keep your hands off my brother!" Seiya threw himself at the long haired man, but was stopped before he could reach him by Darien and Haruka. He struggled against their hands, eventually calming down and they reluctantly released him.

"He's taking too much food." Yaten accused while Jade simply shrugged and looked towards Darien and Haruka, his gaze completely nonchalant.

"I'm hungry." He stated.

"Come on; give it back so we can all return to our activities." Darien commanded calmly.

"Fuck you, douche-bag." Jade sneered, turning to leave.

"You had better do what he says." Taiki threatened menacingly.

"I'll teach him a lesson!" Seiya said through gritted teeth.

"Give it back. Now." Haruka ordered, her tone so hard that he turned to look at her.

Their gazes locked for a moment, and then he turned to face the others. Six men and five women all angry at him, he stopped to think for a moment.

"Here, take it." He finally said, tossing the already unpacked sandwich on the sand and then left.

"Son of a-" Seiya was held back once again.

"Let him go, he's not worth it." Taiki's reasonable words needed a couple of seconds to sink in, but eventually Seiya calmed down.

Lita picked up the sandwich and tried to brush the sand off. Once she was satisfied, she replaced it into the thermal box.

"We have to do something about that." Darien said.

"Yeah, tie him up to a tree and let him dry off under the sun." Seiya said angrily.

"Seiya!" Taiki scolded. Michiru touched her friend's arm gently, calming the young man instantly.

Haruka observed the scene and massaged her shoulder, slightly strained by the effort of restraining Seiya. An unsettling feeling fell on her, but she couldn't name it. She kept looking at Michiru now exchanging words with Taiki, her hand still on Seiya's arm, and noticed that they looked very close. Haruka knew they were traveling together and she knew they were working together, but hadn't really acknowledged that intimacy.

Suddenly Seiya's eyes crossed hers, challenging her as he circled Michiru's waist with his arm in what seemed to be a familiar gesture.

"We need to find some food." Haruka advised, averting her eyes from them.

"My grandfather says we should hunt the wild boars." Rei offered, the short, bald man behind her smiling and waiting for his granddaughter to translate.

"And how can we do that?" Seiya inquired directly in Japanese.

"I can do it. I just need two good runners…and a knife. I saw that _she_ has some beautiful blades." He said pointing his finger to a confused Lita. Rei translated and all eyes turned to the brunette, who was taken aback by the sudden attention. With a nervous smile, she nodded, "O-Of course."

* * * * * * * *

_"So, don't you think this is a much better way to use a knife?" The gray-haired man asked while he expertly sliced a tomato. The sharp blade cut smoothly into the red fruit in quick, firm movements. In a few seconds he had reduced the tomato in little pieces, tossing it into the big pan and a loud sizzle erupted as a delicious aroma spread into the air._

_"Oh, yes." Lita said, staring fascinated as he took another tomato."C-Can I try?"_

_The chef looked at his promising young apprentice. She was passionate and dedicated to the art of cooking and also very talented. Of course, she could be a little blunt sometimes and she needed to improve her manners and her tastes, but she had a future d_espite her past.

_"Of course you can."_

_Lita took the big knife in her strong, yet young hands. The blade felt great, balanced and perfectly sharp. She began slicing a tomato with more enthusiasm than skill, but after working for a while and listening to her teacher's instruction, her technique improved and her smile broadened._

* * * * * * * *

"Seiya, are you sure?" Michiru queried, helping to fix the rucksack on her friend's back. "It's dangerous." She stated the obvious, but no one had the courage to mention the carnage that was seen in the cockpit.

"I know, but we have to do this. We can't go another two days with the food we have, you know that." He replied, his voice serious, though his eyes sparkled with excitement.

Michiru knew he was right, but the idea of going back into the forest was disturbing. Also, the fact that Seiya had volunteered without hesitation bothered her even more, and that wasn't it either.

The whole thing had been unsettling: Rei's grandfather had asked for two fast runners, Haruka had come forward saying running had been her job up through college and she was still training.

Michiru's heart had skipped a beat then, but Haruka was an athlete and everyone knew that so she couldn't protest. Then, Yuiichiro offered to go, but Seiya had stepped in firmly. Michiru could still see the challenge in his eyes as he looked at Haruka. Seiya had already fretted about the blonde's tendency to 'butt in' in every matter, and they had even almost fought over it. Michiru had realized that the more she defended Haruka, the more it upset Seiya. Why? They had barely interacted and had never even spoken to each other directly.

But even now Seiya was eying Haruka from a distance and the blonde glared back. Their childish behavior made Michiru roll her eyes in exasperation.

"This isn't a game, Seiya." She said finally, bringing his attention back to her. "We don't know what's out there, but we saw what it's capable of." She was scared for him, and in the corner of her mind she knew she was just as scared for Haruka.

"I can do it, Michiru-chan, don't worry." Seiya said. He wanted to reassure her, but was also pleased that she was expressing so much concern about him. It made him shoot a triumphant look across the camp, though no one could understand what was happening. Although he hadn't analyzed it deeply, he had been very upset by the fact that Michiru was spending so much time away. Due to their current situation, he had imagined the four of them - Michiru, his brothers and himself - drawing closer together, but instead, Michiru seemed to be drifting away.

On top of that, Haruka had crossed the line when she had stopped him from beating up Jade and Seiya couldn't forgive that.

"You act like someone had challenged you to it." He was about to protest, but was cut off. "I know that look, Seiya..." She said, and that was enough. He knew she wouldn't have accepted a lie and so he admitted what was troubling him.

"It was about _my_ brother, she had no right to interfere." He snarled.

Michiru realized he was talking about their altercation with Jade, and she noted how he hadn't mentioned Darien's interference.

"_They..._" She stressed the word, "...did you a favor. That man looks capable of anything; you don't want to get into a fight with him. It's not worth it." She retorted, admitting what she had been thinking since that morning.

"I don't care. If he messes with my brother, he'll regret it." Seiya exclaimed stubbornly. "She's always getting involved, like she's some kind of…I don't know. All I know is that we've all survived and we're doing our best to stay alive. She's nothing special. There's no hero here."

His words were unfair to say the least, and Michiru couldn't help but reply, though she knew it would incite a reaction. "I don't think that's how she feels."

"Of course you don't!" Seiya's voice raised as his anger increased, and Michiru became even more uncomfortable. He was overreacting and she had no intention of continuing the conversation.

"You know what?" She had passed the point of irritated, "You can go and get yourself killed, if that's what you want."

The harshness of her words was enough to bring Seiya back to his senses, realizing that he had been rude and had no valid reason. Michiru was really worried about him and he now felt stupid about his jealousy. Michiru was his friend after all, she loved him and was always there for him. Everything else didn't matter.

"I'm sorry Michiru-chan. That was out of line." He looked down at her and smiled ashamedly. "I think we're all a little overstressed."

Michiru nodded, accepting his apology and rising on her tiptoes she placed a little kiss on his cheek.

"Take care."

* * * * * * * *

"Take care." Setsuna said, but Haruka wasn't really paying attention; instead her look was fixed on the two figures in the distance. When she saw the woman on tiptoe leaning on the taller male, her stomach twisted.

"Haruka-san, here's the antenna. Haruka-san? Haruka-san!" The second time Furuhata called her name; he managed to get her attention.

"Oh, sorry." The blonde apologized, crossing Setsuna's intense look, "What should I do with it?" She asked, dismissing the knowing look the older woman shot at her.

"Just put it on a tree when you're sufficiently deep into the woods." He said, his voice becoming anxious, "The higher the better. But no need to take risks, the signal is quite strong." He was hopeful that they could amplify the transmitter's power and not just receive, but also send out a message this time. Haruka still didn't know if his optimism was annoying or endearing, only that he had worked all night trying to arrange it, and she would make sure his work wouldn't go to waste.

"Good luck, Haruka-san." He concluded, smiling. She nodded and turned to Setsuna, but before the tanned woman could speak, someone had called her name again.

"Haruka." Michiru was walking to them quickly, her expression troubled though by the time she had reached them, a soft smile graced her face.

"What?" Haruka greeted her a little colder than she had intended.

Michiru was taken aback by her tone and remained silent for a moment.

"Please, take care." She finally managed to say, the blonde's look almost intimidating. "Try to come back safe…the both of you." Haruka's eyes turned so cold that the violinist had to repress a shiver. But as fast as the look had come, it was replaced with a cocky, arrogant smile.

"Don't worry, I'll bring him back in one piece."

Michiru was surprised at the sudden change in the blonde's mood, but the pretentious, smug tone hadn't pass unnoticed. Maybe Seiya wasn't the only one feeling the rivalry.

* * * * * * * *

With the recognition of their needs, the group of survivors had started to organize. After the hunting party left, some of the girls decided to take a little trip to the edge of the forest to collect wood for the fire. At first, they were silent, mostly not sure how to make conversation. They knew next to nothing about each other, hardly knew each other's names, and were still not sure if they could trust each other.

Lita, especially, was intently watching each one of them, trying to understand their thoughts; trying to catch them looking at her nervously. There! Ami had glanced at her briefly, yes, but still…oh and Rei, that girl's dark eyes pierced through her. And the two blondes, Serena and Mina, they were whispering to each other. They were certainly talking about the freak with the knives...

'It doesn't matter how far you go, you'll always be the violent freak. You can have a new life, but you can't erase the old one...' Her inner voice admonished. 'No matter how much you've changed, they always find out eventually.'

"You all think I'm some kind of freak." She bluntly stated out loud.

The four girls turned, puzzled, looking at the tall brunette who now stood with her hand on her hips and a challenging look in her green eyes.

"Why should we think such a thing?" Mina was the first to break the long silence.

Lita looked at them again and saw confusion, realizing she had been a little paranoid. 'Great! _Now_ they think you're nuts...'

"'C-Cause of the knives and all." She stuttered, lowering her eyes. "I...I" She felt all the eyes on her, not wanting to draw attention, but she always managed to. She had always been too loud, too tall, too busty, too blunt or too aggressive. If they only knew how small and insignificant she felt inside!

"You work with them." The soft voice wasn't a question, it was a statement; neutral, calm, reassuring. Lita looked up at Ami, who smiled at her gently. The short, blue-haired girl blushed after a moment under Lita's intense gaze, and eventually even the brunette managed to smile.

"Are you a butcher or something?" Mina asked, curious.

"Actually, I'm a chef." Lita admitted.

"Wow! So you can bake cakes!?!?!" Serena said very loudly, but then covered her mouth with her hand, remembering they were running out of food. Everyone looked at her, some reproachingly, some preoccupied, making Lita feel that she had to do something.

She looked up and started walking, the others following in curiosity.

"Lita what-" Serena wanted to ask, but the brunette stopped abruptly and pointed high to the thick foliage.

"Plantains!" She exclaimed, when no one seemed to understand what she was pointing at. Their eyes lifted to look up into the trees, brightening at the sight of big, green and yellow bunches of fruits hanging from the top of the tall trees.

In less than an hour, with Yuiichiro's help, they managed to collect a sufficient amount to provide a decent meal for the entire group.

Their mood had visibly improved, and the girls found themselves chatting amiably, even laughing as if they've been long-standing friends. Lita was surprised that she could talk so freely with those strangers, finding herself even talking about her personal life, not much maybe, but still...

They seemed to trust her, to take what she offered with no judgment, no expectations. But when she thought that she could finally feel at ease, she felt something hurting inside, something that reminded her of her place. .

* * * * * * * *

_"You'll come, won't you?" She stared into his dark eyes, the white sheets scattered around her, her chestnut hair loose on the pillow. She made quite a view._

_Of course she'd never consider herself a beauty. She was tall and strong built, never gracious, and she often scared boys instead of charming them. But now, with her bare shoulder emerging from the sheets and a contented smile on her face, she looked very feminine and beautiful. However, he wasn't looking at her. He _couldn't _look at her._

_He turned his back to her and put his clothes on. She knew he was in a hurry because he had to be at the restaurant in half an hour, but in the back of her mind, she knew that wasn't the only reason._

_She was about to leave Japan and go back home, her training had finished and he was ready for a new affair. It had been fun; she had been great, but…nothing more._

_It wasn't like people didn't like her, the problem was that she always tended to like them much more than they liked her. She always gave her heart unconditionally to people who weren't worth it._

_This was quite the masochistic behavior, but unfortunately, it was also the only way she knew. She had never been able to do things halfway, not even when she was at the institute._

_No matter how hurt, how disappointed she was._

_He was fully clothed now and this time looked at her to say good-bye. She noticed it was hard for him and she shivered, suddenly cold._

_How come they can never look at her? How come they can never seem gather the courage? Was it her? Was she that scary? Or was she just worthless?_

_He smiled at her nervously and leaned down to kiss her awkwardly on the lips. _

_"Will you come at the airport?" She asked him once again, trying to leave urgency out of her tone, but failed._

_He looked at her for a moment, thinking. "I'll try, but don't count on it. Bye." And with that, he picked up his coat and left._

_She remained there for a minute, the room suddenly silent. Sighing, she remained between the warm sheets for a moment, then stood. The cold hit her nude form as she walked to the bathroom for a shower._

_'That's it, Lita.' She said to herself, 'Just another bad choice. It's not the first one and it probably won't be the last.' She looked at herself in the misting mirror, 'Just a new scar, it's not the end of the world.' She grazed the pale mark on her stomach with her fingertips. Just another scar for her soul, one little scar to add to the others…so many others._

_She shrugged and stepped into the shower, the hot water washing away her tears._

* * * * * * * *

"Michiru-mama, look!"

No matter how many times she heard it, Michiru's heart still skipped a beat when she was called that name. After that morning outburst, Hotaru had began calling her and Setsuna: 'Mama'. Neither of them had objected, of course, and Michiru, for her part, had found that she felt exhilarated when she heard it. It seemed like they had been adopted as 'mothers,' and that alone was enough to make her head spin.

She had never thought about motherhood, not because she was young, because she wasn't. She had been mostly too engrossed in her career and she had always thought a family could get in the way.

Or maybe – she found herself thinking – because she had never had someone close enough to her heart to consider starting a family.

It was something deeper; it was the foreign feeling to have someone depend on her, that she had a responsibility that wasn't solely to herself. The feeling of being needed, of _belonging_, it was amazing.

Hotaru had her arm stretched high to let them see the elaborated shell, a proud and childish look in her purple eyes.

The two women looked at it and complimented the child who then went back to her task, leaving them a few steps behind. They had both welcomed the chance for a walk on the shore and some alone time. Setsuna seemed to be quite the loner, though she preferred the sole company of Hotaru, Michiru and Haruka. Michiru had been very preoccupied since Seiya, Haruka, and Rei's grandfather had left and she was scared and upset about Seiya's and Haruka's behavior. She had sensed some kind of rivalry between them since the time they had interacted on the plane, but believed that she had imagined it. They both had strong personalities, and the whole situation was testing their limits.

All of her thoughts were held at bay by the light conversation she had struck up with Setsuna. The older woman was genial company for the violinist. She was calm and measured, but smart and capable of sharp remarks and irony. The only thing was the unsettling feeling that she could read her mind, sometimes, like Setsuna had known her for years.

Sure, Michiru found Setsuna and Haruka the two most interesting characters of the group and wanted to know more about them. 'As long as she comes back safe...' The thought brought a shiver down her spine.

"Are you OK, Michiru-san?" The warm voice reached Michiru, tearing her from her reverie.

"Of course." She answered like she used to, trying not to give away her private thoughts.

"Is it about Seiya-san? Are you worried?" But with that woman, it was absolutely useless, she always knew and this time was no different. Yes, because this time she _wasn't_ thinking about Seiya, and the hint of skepticism in Setsuna's voice and her look told Michiru that the older woman knew it perfectly well.

"Or..." Setsuna let the implication trail off as Michiru remained silent, walking slowly. Before Setsuna could stress the topic, Michiru trailed to her right and crouched down, picking up a sheet of paper half-buried in the sand.

"What is this?"

* * * * * * * *

"So? Do you think it's true?"

Darien observed the photo intently, longer than it'd be necessary to read a name on the little black board.

"Yeah. It's true." He said, his voice holding such certainty that Michiru was taken aback for a moment.

"How...?" She asked, still looking at the long-haired man in the photo.

"I know it's true because we've found the Marshal's body with the wrist still cuffed." He explained, a little surprised himself. He'd been sure they had known.

"I thought Haruka told you." He added, unprepared for Michiru's ocean blue eyes to whirl with anger, her tone icy.

"You mean Haruka knew?!"

* * * * * * * *

"It's a lot of bananas..." Serena chirped from behind the tall brunette. "Too bad I don't like them too much..."

"Well, I don't think you have much of a choice, Serena." Lita retorted, not bothering turn around to look at her.

"I love banana splits, though." The blonde girl said.

"And these are plantains, by the way. Not bananas." Lita seemed pensive.

"Oh!" Serena was surprised, she examined the hanging fruit inquisitively. "Can you make plantain split?" She asked, her tone serious, much to Lita surprise.

A large smile appeared on Serena's face, her light-blue eyes were dreamy and her mouth was slightly agape. Lita looked at her in disbelief.

"Oh my…Serena is thinking about ice-cream!" Mina exclaimed, "I can tell by the drool." She winked at Lita and elbowed her best-friend.

The two blondes started bickering good-naturedly, stopping abruptly when they heard the brunette's exclamation.

"Of course!" Lita had been thinking about it since the hunting party had left, she wanted to feel useful and had thought about volunteering. She was strong, but she wasn't a good runner, so she had thought about what else she had to offer: she could use a knife and she could cook, but then again, they were running out of food…until now. Now she had found some ingredients and she was absolutely determined to fix a proper meal for everybody.

"I'm gonna cook for you, and I'm gonna make it taste amazing!" She exclaimed triumphantly. The two blondes looked at her questioningly; those fruits didn't look too tasty, though they were a wonderful alternative to starving.

"I'm sure I saw something during the luggage raid. I didn't collect it at the time because I thought it was useless but..." Lita mumbled, obviously trying to recollect the memory.

She asked everyone around the camp, and even went back to the pile of luggage they had searched. Nothing. But she was absolutely sure she had seen the small package. Actually, she had smelled it first: the strong odor of spices. It had to be somewhere.

After a while, she concluded someone must have taken it and there was only one shady enough to be the culprit.

Lita approached the long-haired man who lay under a tree reading a book. He had made a sort of pallet with some towels and had an open suitcase beside him that was full of various items, probably collected from different baggage. She examined it from a distance and immediately recognized what she was looking for.

"Is that your suitcase?" She said, already knowing it wasn't.

"It is now." He answered, not even bothering to lie.

"I need that." She said stretching out her hand to pick the package, its strong fragrance permeating the air.

BLAM!

Thanks to her reflexes, she managed to withdraw her hand from the suitcase just in time, narrowly avoiding losing her fingers. He had slammed the lid violently and now was looking at her with an evil grin, shaking his finger in admonishment.

"Are you insane?" She yelled, incredulous. He could have chopped off her hand!

"What you think you're doing?" He asked calmly.

"I want to arrange a meal for the group." Lita replied, hardly keeping her voice down.

"But that's mine, you see. Why would I want to give it to you?" He shot back, his fake smile making him look even creepier.

"Because it's for the community and you don't need it, do you?" She answered, though she had realized what was happening. He had no intention of giving her the spices, but was enjoying the little power game. Lita glared at him in annoyance, her temper flaring.

"What will I have in return?" He asked, still smiling, but now his steel eyes flashed dangerously. "Nothing's for free here."

Lita wasn't afraid of Jade, but she had also realized what sort of man he was and though she knew how to deal with him, she didn't like it.

"I won't pay you for something that doesn't even belong to you. You can count on that." She snapped, holding his gaze.

"Too bad, honey." He winked at her, knowing he was irritating her, "Then you won't have it…you can count on that." He replied mockingly, returning to his pallet and book.

Lita remained where she was for a moment, staring at him. She realized that she was fighting a losing game, and walked back towards the girls.

When she returned to the others, her upset expression was noticed by everyone. Serena's attempt to make her tell what had happened failed miserably, and she was silenced by a glare from the fuming brunette.

An hour passed before Ami could quietly approach Lita and convince her to rejoin the others. Lita had calmed down by then, but had been tempted to brush off Ami bluntly when she felt the blue-haired girl sitting next to her.. Instead, she was surprised as Ami sat and remained silent, not bothering her, rather, waiting for Lita to break the silence. And she did, after a while, telling Ami what had just happened and more. She told the doctor-in-training about her stay in Japan, about her job and even about _that_ morning; the one where she had left Tokyo. She told Ami about how happy she had been when they told her she needed to stay in Japan for one more day, how the mere thought of spending one more night with him was exciting, and then how sad she had been when she realized he wouldn't come to the airport to say goodbye. She had even shed a tear. Just one solitary tear had rolled down her cheek and she was grateful to the young doctor for not mentioning it.

After her tale, she was ready to join the group, no longer angry or sad, instead there was a big smile on her face and renewed enthusiasm. She turned to Ami and mouthed a silent 'thank you'.

No one said anything in particular to her, only continued talking with the occasional glance from Serena, reminding Lita that she had been a little rude with them. She decided she would make amends by arranging their meal and trying to be as friendly as she could, at least as much as they were to her.

They were talking rather amiably when she caught a glimpse of a movement in the corner of her eye. "What the hell you think you're doing?" Lita stood up abruptly and glared towards the pile of fruit they had collected with flaming eyes.

"I'm helping myself." Jade's rough voice showed no sign of intimidation, despite the brunette's tone and glare.

"No, you're not." Her voice now held the hint of a threat. The atmosphere suddenly became icy cold, no one daring to speak or make any sound.

"Listen to me little girl, you're not the one to give permissions here. No one is. So don't bother glaring at me like that. I'm not scared and you're not convincing." His tone had passed from cold to menacing in a single instant. He turned again and moved to pick up one of the plantains.

"She's rather convincing to me. Check out the look in her eyes, it gives me the creeps." Serena whispered to Mina, shivering.

"If you want that, you know what I want in exchange." Lita said firmly, her hands on her hips.

The long haired man smiled mockingly, chose one of the green fruits, and grabbed it.

"Maybe next time, little girl." He taunted, smirking. And then they all heard the hiss and thunk of something hitting an object hard. "Oh, shit!" Jade exclaimed in surprise, jumping back and looking at Lita with wide eyes. He then looked down where his hand had been a couple of seconds before, finding a big knife sticking out of the plantain he had just been holding.

All the girls gasped as their eyes saw the same thing, Serena stifling a small cry by putting her hand on her mouth. Lita stood there, glaring at the long-haired man with frightening intensity.

Serena's stifled cry caught Darien's attention, sending him running towards them, followed by Michiru and Setsuna. When they arrived, they didn't notice the knife at first, their attention directed at Lita as her firm, menacing tone cut through the air.

"Do you think I'm scared of you? I know guys like you and I know you only understand one language." She glanced meaningfully at the knife, its black handle clearly visible against the green fruits. "Now, if you want one of those, you know what you have to do, and if you don't, you can crawl back under your stone." She hissed.

Jade stared at her for a long time, his gray eyes flashing with anger. Everyone held their breath, surprised when he turned and left with empty hands.

"Someone want one?" Lita asked cheerfully, picking up one of the fruits and retrieving her knife.

* * * * * * * *

_"Hey, you! Leave her alone!" Lita ran to the secluded corner of the big courtyard. When she arrived, the three boys, no older than twelve, turned and glared at her, behind them a crouched little girl, trembling against the stained, ruined wall._

_"Why don't you guys try messing with someone your age, huh? She's just a kid." Lita scolded. The little girl looked up, her eyes clouded with tears and her clothes torn and dirty._

_"Mind your own business, freak!" One of the boys, the biggest, spat,turning his back to her, dismissing the interruption. But that was a fatal mistake._

_Lita grabbed him by his shoulder and threw him to the ground, turning to the other two just as one made his move, quickly receiving a swift punch in the stomach. The third one withdrew slowly, obviously scared. Suddenly, however, he smirked, Lita was surprised by his sudden boldness, but continued to move closer, her fists clenched and ready to strike. The boy didn't try to escape, instead, he stood tall, his grin widening._

_"You had better get lost before it gets nasty." He sneered. Lita smiled, he wasn't much of a challenge for her. He was smaller and looked rather weak and unparticularly dexterous._

_"Oh? Is that a threat? Are you threatening me?" She asked mockingly._

_"No, it's just good advice." He challenged, now walking towards her, "Don't tell me I didn't warn you!" He said and looked over her shoulder._

_Lita immediately got the hint and turned around just in time to see the bigger boy now standing again with a wide smirk. Two against one, but she could take them._

_The brunette girl decided to engage the bigger one first, closing the distance between them. Suddenly the little girl on the ground shouted._

_"NO!" Lita saw the flash of metal, "He has a knife!" The girl's words came too late. The larger boy jumped at her incredibly fast, and though Lita tried to dodge the attack, the blade penetrated deeply into her left side. Lita staggered, the blinding pain taking a few seconds before shooting through her entire body, sending her to the ground near the little girl, clenching her side._

_The larger boy winked at them as he and his lackeys ran. "We're not done with you!" Then, they were gone._

_Lita lay on the ground, lifting her hand to look at the enlarging crimson stain on her shirt. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last._

_She was used to it ever since she was a little kid and her parents died, leaving her in the 'System'. She had been in different institutes and foster homes, she had met kids like those several times, and she knew how to deal with them._

* * * * * * * *

"Hush. Here she is..." After an hour of walking, the short bald man stopped, pointing at the boar in the distance. He took cover behind a bush and gestured them to do the same.

"Are you ready?" He whispered. Haruka and Seiya nodded.

They had put together a plan of sorts. Haruka and Seiya were to flank the boar and attack from both sides while, at the same time, Rei's grandfather attacked from behind with the knife. It wasn't much of a plan, and they weren't sure it could work, but they were desperate enough to try.

At least, that was what Haruka believed though she gulped in fear as she got closer to the animal and got a glimpse of its big yellow tusks. Seiya noticed her tense expression and smiled,

"Are you scared, Tenoh?" He whispered, "Or do you just not have your usual audience of pretty girls?"

Haruka was about to reply, in the most rude way possible, when the old man gestured at them to hurry. She had to settle for an old-fashioned piercing glare before going to the right.

Once in their positions, they stood to get the animal's attention. The boar lifted its head swiftly, looking first at Haruka, then Seiya. As the old man had predicted, the animal stalled, not sure who to attack first, giving the old man the chance to get closer from behind.

The boar moved, unfortunately for Seiya, choosing to charge him instead of Haruka. As soon as realization hit, he turned and ran, but it wasn't easy to run through the thick vegetation and soon the boar was closing in. Haruka reacted immediately, launching herself in pursuit of the two. It didn't take her long to reach them, and she began to shout, hoping to scare the beast away. Sadly, all she managed to do was agitate it further. Suddenly, Seiya tripped and fell to the ground, now at full mercy of the raging animal. Haruka leapt and tried to push him away from the boar's trajectory, unfortunately, she was too late and the animal's tusks slammed into the young man, cutting into his leg.

The boar didn't even stop after its attack, running away into the foliage as the elderly Shinto priest ran towards them, panting.

"Fortunately, it just grazed you. If you'd been given the whole blow…I don't want to think about that." The elder mumbled, checking on Seiya's leg. The black-haired young man gulped.

"Thanks for the information, but it still hurts." Seiya hissed in pain.

"Oh, come on, don't be such a cry-baby." Haruka scoffed with great satisfaction.

Seiya huffed, shooting an angry glare at the annoying blonde.

"I think it's better for him to go see the doctor." Rei's grandfather advised. He and Haruka helped Seiya stand, but when he was on his feet again Haruka remembered that they had another task to accomplish. Leaving the old man to carry Seiya for a moment, she took Furuhata's device out of her rucksack and climbed swiftly up a solid tree, securing it to a branch with a leather belt.

* * * * * * * *

Seiya and Haruka proceeded slowly along the uncleared path. It was difficult trying to minimize the strains for the man's injured leg. They had used a shred of his shirt as a tourniquet, but still had to hurry back to the beach. The cut was deep enough for him to bleed profusely, but fortunately not enough to pierce an artery.

At first, Seiya had made little use of Haruka for support. She had reminded him just once, and then it was up to him. He was the one in pain; if he wanted to be stubborn, it wasn't her problem. Although after a while, he started to lean against her more and more and soon they were both panting in overexertion.

"You need a break." Haruka announced in a tone that wasn't open to objection. They sat down on two large rocks opposite one another

Though he would have never admitted it, Seiya was grateful for the rest, his leg hurt and the other one was sore for the extra effort. He closed his eyes for a moment, expecting some sarcastic remark from Haruka. When it didn't come, he re-opened them and looked at the tall woman in front of him. He didn't like her, that was for sure, but he couldn't exactly explain why.

Yes, she was a little too friendly with Michiru and he knew from the newspapers that she was openly gay, but that wasn't enough. Michiru had hundreds of suitors. Maybe it was the fact that Michiru seemed to appreciate the blonde's company.

He felt some kind of competition with Haruka, he felt compelled to prove himself. Just like with Yaten. But maybe _that_ was something else. What was going on with his brothers was something much deeper than some petty jealousy. And Michiru... well, Michiru was definitely straight; he had no need to worry.

Haruka hadn't liked to be the first in need of a break and had tried to make it look like she was actually letting _Seiya_ rest. But in reality, she was exhausted and her shoulder still hurt. He wasn't exactly light, he was a well built man and she wasn't at the top of her game. She hadn't slept much since…well, since before the plane crash, since the damned phone call.

She glanced at her companion. He had his eyes closed and seemed to enjoy the break. Looking at him intently, he was, in fact, handsome – 'If you're one to like those kind of things,' she thought – maybe he was even charming – 'If you like arrogant, cocky people...'

Well, she didn't. So she didn't like _him_. But Michiru did…a lot. Haruka shivered, remembering the violinist on her tiptoes leaning to him...

'Get a grip of yourself!' She silently scolded herself for indulging in such thoughts.

'It's not like you're envious, is it?' Her inner voice's mocking tone was annoying.

'Why the hell should I be envious of that _baka_?' She replied to her conscience. These inner conversations were becoming more and more frequent in her tired mind.

'No reason...' The sarcasm was really starting to piss her off.

'Oh, shut up!' How could someone argue with themselves? It wasn't normal…it was insane.

'No reason…You don't like her, right? You don't even see her, or listen to her, right? Right?!' She shook her head annoyed, and begun to absently massage her sore shoulder.

"Weren't you injured?" The loud question brought her back to reality.

"It's nothing."

Seiya decided he had tried enough to be polite and simply shrugged. The sudden movement sent waves of pain to his leg and he winced. Haruka noticed, kneeling down in front of him.

"Let me take a look." She touched his leg delicately, much to his surprise. He hadn't expected her to be gentle. She seemed to be a hard person, tough, but now that she was that close and unaware of him observing her, he could clearly make out her feminine feature. Her hands were long and delicate. Despite her body being athletic and muscular, she had everything a woman was supposed to have. He shook his head. That didn't mean he liked her, but he could see her in a different light.

"What are you staring at, baka?" Oh no, he could never like her - in that or any other way!

"I wasn't thinking about you, moron!" He replied, but his fiery cheeks betrayed him.

"It'd better be the truth." Haruka mumbled, taking his leg and placing it on her lifted knee. "I need to change the bandage, it's already soaked." She informed him, uncovering the gash and tearing another piece of his expensive shirt.

"Hey!" He complained, but was ignored as she carefully proceeded so as not to hurt him.

Seiya had protested out of habit. It wasn't like he cared about the shirt; he had just wanted to give her a hard time. He thought about all the walking they still had to do and groaned.

"Don't make a fuss!" She commented briskly, obviously thinking she had hurt him.

He hadn't even acknowledged her comment, a sweet thought making its way into his mind.

He was injured, and he was just picturing in his head what would happen once they returned to the camp. People gathering around him concerned, people like _Michiru_. She was worried when they had left, and now she would have to take care of him. And maybe, just maybe, he could have the chance of getting closer to her this time. Yeah, that was a fine thought for the road.

"What are you smiling at, baka?" Haruka couldn't help but be rude; Seiya was staring into space with an idiotic grin on his face.

"Nothing that concerns you." He snapped, but the smile didn't leave his face.

"We'd better get going, it's getting late and you're not exactly _speedy_." She said, offering him her right hand to help him stand. He looked at it at first, annoyed for her remark, and then he noticed for the first time the dirty cloth around her fist.

"What have you done?" He asked, nodding to the hand he refused to take standing up. However, he circled her shoulders with his arm for support, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, that." She shrugged, "Nothing, I just had some trouble with a tree." She said, her eyes looking in the distance. A dark feeling began creeping in her heart at the memory of the day before.

* * * * * * * *

It was mid-afternoon when the exhausted Haruka and Seiya finally made it to the beach and headed off to the doctor.

The blue-haired woman attended Seiya's wound in the presence of the two mocking brothers and a worried Michiru. The violinist had seemed very upset since that morning, especially when she and Setsuna had found Jade's mugshot. But then, there had been the confrontation between the convict and the tall brunette chef, and everyone seemed a bit more relaxed knowing there was someone who could stand up to him. Everyone except the aqua-haired woman who was becoming sulkier and sulkier, and her mood hadn't improved even when the doctor assured them that Seiya was going to be perfectly fine in a couple of days.

In the meantime, Haruka had waited at the back of the tent, silent. Something was wrong; Michiru hadn't even acknowledged her presence. She hadn't spoken to her; she hadn't asked anything, only once had she looked at Haruka, her blue eyes icy cold.

Haruka finally exited the tent, unable to bear the restless feeling in her heart. What happened? Why was Michiru mad at her? It couldn't be about Seiya, could it? It was just a scratch…okay, she cared about him, but this was just ridiculous!

"Haruka-papa! You're back!" Hotaru literally jumped into her arms bringing her back to reality and managing to bring a surprised smile on her face too.

'Haruka-_papa_?!?'

* * * * * * * *

The forest was oddly silent. No noises for at least five minutes, now. Even his prey had stopped in its tracks, grunting. Only the wind continued blowing through the foliage gently.

The dark-furred animal had its head high, sniffing the air and its small ears stretching in a particular direction, listening to something only it could hear.

The man stopped behind a bush. He had wasted almost two hours tracking down the stubborn animal again and he didn't want to let it go, but he knew silence was never a good sign in a forest. So he wasn't surprised when he heard rustling getting closer and closer at a very fast pace, his heart accelerating. He was scared.

The boar ran on instinct to save its life, but the predator was faster and in a blur of dark colors, the groaning and grunting and desperate cries of the animal ceased.

The carcass flew in the air and landed with a dull thud right beside the man's feet. Then, the groan got closer and closer as beads of sweat ran down his spine, the hand that clutched the big knife trembled. Maybe if he could stay still, perfectly still...

Maybe.

* * * * * * * *

The afternoon was drawing to a close and with the unexpected meal provided by the plantains, the mood had improved dramatically at the beach. For almost everyone.

Haruka was quite concerned about the old Shinto priest, though she knew it was still early to actually be worried. On top of that, Michiru was very cold even in Hotaru's presence. Haruka was confused, she didn't know what was happening and she was fighting the urge to go ask for an explanation. She couldn't mistake the violinist's glares and the deliberate disregard for her, Michiru was definitely mad and Haruka couldn't think of the reason.

Was it about Seiya's injury?

The image of the affectionate departing between the two of them was still lingering in her mind. But she couldn't picture Michiru overreacting on a minor injury like Seiya's.

'And it's not your fault, by the way. He's a moron!' Her inner voice was unexpectedly reassuring.

Nonetheless, the thought of Michiru being angry at her was unsettling. 'Then go and ask her. You'll make a fool of yourself.' The voice said sarcastically, 'I know you are a fool anyway.'

Great! She was being mocked and insulted by her own mind. She closed her bloodshot eyes and took a big breath.

"I do need to get some sleep." She murmured.

Setsuna, who was going through Tomoe's notes, lifted her head and glanced at the blonde, puzzled.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was thinking out loud." Haruka's head began to hurt and she sighed, massaging her temples. The older woman frowned at her.

"You know what's going on, don't you?" Haruka asked, not even looking at Setsuna. "You know everything all the time." Her statement was bitter, she felt frustrated and exasperated.

"What are you talking ab...?" Before Setsuna could even finish her sentence, Haruka stood.

"Never mind." She concluded, waving her hand in dismissal, She was about to lose her temper and she didn't want to make a scene, so she walked away.

That wasn't her, all that sitting, guessing, and thinking. Waiting for people to explain, being patient. That wasn't her.

Something was wrong and she wanted to know what it was, so the simplest thing to do was to ask the person concerned.

* * * * * * * *

Michiru was upset. No, she was _pissed_. Really pissed. Not to mention disappointed and frustrated.

She had been scared since the crash, but now she was mad and for a very specific reason.

She was mad at _her_.

She felt betrayed and she felt like a fool. And for that, she was even angrier at herself. She had let a perfect stranger fool her.

She didn't know if it was frustration, tiredness, or rage to bring tears to the corner of her eyes, but she knew she had to blink them away to deter Seiya. He was about to question her when she excused herself and walked away, trying to calm down.

She walked along the shore for a while, taking deep breaths and cooling down in the evening breeze, listening to the soothing sound of the shore.

That helped. The sea had always helped her calm down, it let her disconnect from the world outside and connect to her inner self, her emotions, her thoughts.

She had just recomposed herself when she saw someone approaching, someone she did not want to see at the moment.

Haruka had watched Michiru from a distance, she had noticed the turmoil in her behavior, even glimpsed it in her ocean blue eyes - when she had been close enough -but now, she was presented with a much colder version of Michiru and couldn't help but flinch.

Stiffened shoulders, cold look, hard voice, the violinist seemed much more like the aloof, snob person the magazines showed.

"What do you want Haruka-san?" To the very tired and frustrated Haruka, Michiru's words sounded like sharp blades slicing her to Pieces. Why? Why was Michiru mad at her? She massaged her pulsing temples, her headache getting worse by the minute.

"I…I'm sorry." She couldn't think straight, and before she could prevent it, the words were out of her mouth.

'Oh my God, you did it! You apologized. You _never_ apologize, not even when you're actually wrong!' Haruka's inner voice protested.

"Great! She's _sorry_!" Michiru's bitter laugh felt like a punch in the stomach, "I thought we were friends, but I was obviously wrong." The aqua-haired woman sounded…hurt. But by what? It couldn't be because of Seiya, no, it was something else.

"Of course we're friends..." Haruka was in total darkness, but she felt compelled to stress that point.

"Oh no…No, no, no, you lied to me! I trusted you and you lied to me!" Michiru couldn't keep her cold demeanor any more. She was so hurt by the blonde, she couldn't even start to consider why. She wouldn't dare.

"What are you talking about?!" Now Haruka too had raised her voice.

"I found an interesting photograph, this morning." Michiru started, her voice dripping venom. "Of that Jade." Her look was accusing, but Haruka couldn't understand why. "I found his mugshot!" Now Michiru was literally yelling. Fortunately they were far enough from the others, although Setsuna was watching intently from her spot.

"What...? You mean…Jade's the convict?" And then Haruka realized that she hadn't talked with Michiru about it. At first, she hadn't wanted to spread panic and then it happened: the journey to the cockpit, the strange interceptions, Hotaru's father's death, and she had forgotten about the Marshal and his hypothetical captive.

Now, as she looked at the enraged woman in front of her, Haruka knew there was nothing she could have said to justify herself. Nothing could be accepted by Michiru, she was too upset at the moment.

The only thing she could think to do was to apologize again, but she hadn't got the chance, because Michiru spoke again.

"You don't trust me." The statement was bitter. "You have never trusted me."

Haruka tried to protest, but she was cut off. "I even asked you once and you didn't answer me."

That was right, Haruka had been asked. And she was right; Haruka had a hard time trusting people, but...

"You talk to me and make me think I can get close to you. But no one can, right? No one's worth Haruka Tenoh's trust." The words and their tone were so harsh that Michiru thought she saw Haruka shiver, but at the moment, she didn't care. She had intended to be cruel; she had intended to hurt her like she had been hurt.

Haruka was shocked. How could she say those things? After all that happened in the past two days…how could she?

The blonde felt rage rising in her heart, she had broken all her rules and principles, and she had let that woman get closer than anyone. A stranger. And that was what had brought her: hostility, accusations, hurt.

"You should have told me." Michiru stated.

Haruka closed her eyes, her head threatening to explode. She didn't need that now. She didn't.

"I didn't know I was under any kind of obligation to you." Her voice was so hard and cold that Michiru had to suppress the urge to shiver. The blonde turned and walked away, leaving a panting Michiru behind, even more upset by their fight itself than the reason they started it in the first place.

* * * * * * * *

Just as the sun was about to disappear beneath the horizon, Rei's grandfather returned to the camp, dragging the heavy carcass of a boar behind him.

Haruka couldn't help but smile at the view of the short man returning triumphantly with his prey, despite her dark mood. She observed from afar, wanting to be sure he was alright, but she didn't approach the main group, not wanting to run into Michiru or an inquisitive Hotaru, who had immediately realized her 'Mama' and 'Papa' had had a fight.

Michiru was in an equally bad mood and was trying to keep a nonchalant facade, but it was getting hard to do so with Seiya being needy for her attention and Hotaru constantly asking her about Haruka.

The rest of the group had greeted the old man – and his prey - cheerfully, the big animal able to provide them food for several days and the hope for more in the future.

Lita had immediately been put in charge of the preparation of a real meal. She had Ami, Rei, and Mina to help her and Serena to be in the way and provide laughing material for everyone.

After dinner, they all sat around the fire – with the exception of Jade and Haruka – chatting cheerfully.

Hotaru suddenly looked up at Setsuna's garnet eyes and talked with such seriousness, that Setsuna couldn't help but smile at her, "I'm worried. Where is Haruka-papa? She hasn't even eaten." It was one of those moments when the little girl seemed so much older and wiser than she looked.

"You don't have to worry, Hotaru-chan, sometimes grownups have to be alone. She'll eat when she'll feel like it."

"But she has to be hungry!" The dark-haired girl protested, "I've never seen her eating…or sleeping. Do you think she could be sleeping right now?" The purple eyes sparkled as Setsuna was taken aback by her perceptiveness.

"Well…maybe…maybe." Setsuna's skeptical tone didn't fool Hotaru, who had her little brows furrowed cutely.

"They shouldn't fight." Another extremely sharp observation from the young girl, and another knowing smile from the tanned woman. Setsuna looked at Michiru, who sat next to Seiya, pretending to have fun, noticing that none of her smiles ever reached her eyes, and then she turned towards the darkness enveloping the beach and sighed.

"You're right, Hotaru-chan, they're not supposed to fight."

"So, Grandpa! Tell us how you were able to kill the poor animal." Seiya asked cheerfully, getting everybody's attention, "It looks like you're some kind of Rambo, and me and the snobby racer were just getting in the way!" He made everyone laugh.

"Well…It wasn't just me you know..." He blushed furiously, oddly embarrassed, letting Rei translate his words, "…I had help, you know..."

"Help? By who? Did Santa give it to you?" Yaten's sarcasm fell unnoticed by the group.

"Well…I…I…" He gulped, "I had the knife! I couldn't have done the job without it!" He concluded quickly as his face turned an even deeper shade of red.

End chapter 4.

**Author's note**: You can't even try to imagine how many times I've rewritten this chapter. It never looks right to me, and the reason is because I really like Makoto's character and I never seem to be right to her.

I need to thank once again (and particularly this time) my beta reader, Getto-Kunoichi, because she made an excellent work with this chapter, like always... or maybe even more :)

I also want to thank everyone who took the time to leave a review, it's always amazing what reviews do to a writer's mood... but I'm sure you all know that! ;)

Thank you all for reading, see you next chapter!


	6. My time to play

**CHAPTER 5**

**- MY TIME TO PLAY -**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters. I really don't.

**Rating**: **M** for language, violence and... to be on the safe side anyway.

**Setting**: **AU**

**WARNING****: **If you're a Seiya's fan I'm telling you, he won't be treated gently.

**Author's note**: Thanks again for all the reviews and for your patience, there's been a delay due to a change of beta reader, but now it's all solved.

* * * * * * * *

**Tokyo airport, 9.18.**

_"I can't believe it!" The tall, attractive man with black hair and a very long ponytail said, surprised and also pleased. He smiled immediately; a large, charming and utterly fake smile._

_His companions figured out the reason immediately when they saw a little crowd waiting for them in the airport hall. There were reporters, paparazzi and many regular travelers drawn by curiosity and already searching for whatever could be used as paper for autographs: clothes, even parts of their bodies were considered._

_"How could they know?!?" The silver-haired and shortest of the three men exclaimed, annoyed, approaching a couple of girls who were literally crying for him. When he was close enough he looked a little disgusted as one of them offered him her own belly and a pen. He shot a look at his brothers. Taiki kept smiling kindly at the young girl, apparently indifferent, while Seiya winked at Yaten, gesturing towards the group of belly-buttons already circled by his autograph. Yaten rolled his eyes and grabbed the pen, silently accepting his older brother's challenge._

_Their female companion had less noisy but equally enthusiastic and numerous fans. Mostly boys and men, offering her flowers, stuffed animals, even some marriage proposals, but there were also young women. They were in general more classy and composed, the most part offered her copies of classical scores to be signed or her solo concertos CD, and some, their violin cases. She signed everything diligently but with less pleasure than her colleagues._

_When the crowd was able to be held back a little by agents of the airport security they decided to even answer a couple of questions by the reporters, hopeful that this way they could get it over with and continue their travel peacefully._

_Like always Taiki was the one dealing with those kind of serious matters like answering the questions, while Yaten and Seiya were still engaged in a silent game about who had the larger number of fans._

_"I can't believe it, this trip it's been a surprise even for us, how could they know?" the younger brother said as he tried to disentangle his hand from an overeager redhead._

_"You should stop questioning these things, we're pop-stars! It's _all_ about us, what we do, what we think... who we date..." Seiya said never losing his smile as he looked at the beautiful aqua-haired woman next to him. When he noticed her distracted expression, he circled her waist with his arm pulling her closer._

_The gesture was utterly deliberate, it proved the point of what he was saying to his brother because as soon as he did it all the photographers took picture__s and the fan __girls sighed woefully._

_'Let's give the press the 'perfect couple'!' The dark-haired man thought, looking right into the camera and smiling. 'You are indeed perfect!' Then he looked at Michiru fondly and there couldn't be any doubt about the sincerity of his feelings._

_Fortunately he didn't know that the next day those pictures would have shown a charming and smiling Seiya Kou embracing a distant looking Michiru Kaioh at Tokyo airport and that any attentive observer could have noticed she wasn't participating in his personal portrayal of the 'perfect couple'._

* * * * * * * *

**The beach, present.**

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The fearful cry echoed throughout the beach and everyone's attention was drawn to the spot near the wrecked airframe at the eastern end of the camp, where the young pregnant woman stood breathing heavily.

After few seconds she was circled by the other survivors. Lita had one of her knives secured in her hand, and Darien, Mina and Haruka were just behind her. When they arrived Molly was clutching her round belly and panting.

"It's nothing... I think they're gone... just cubs, little boar cubs..." She said between deep intakes of air. She calmed down and told them she had been caught off guard and startled by some cubs which were probably drawn by the smell of the wreck.

After a couple of minutes everyone except for Jade was around her. Dr. Mizuno checked on her, having warned her about the risks of stress in her current state. Michiru held Hotaru's hand tightly although the little girl wanted desperately to get closer and take a peek at all the fuss.

Rei's grandfather, Haruka, Yuiichiro and Darien inspected the inside of the airframe to make sure there were no more animals. Inside the smell wasn't pleasant so they tried to hurry and once back out they all agreed about the necessity of getting rid of the remains as soon as possible. A burial wouldn't be enough, as it would just draw more animals and whatever could smell the rotting flesh, so they opted for burning the plane down.

As the adults were discussing that matter Hotaru disentangled from Michiru's grip and ran off, finally picking up something sticking out of the sand. When Setsuna and Michiru reached her she was cradling a little leather covered notebook in her hands.

"It's Papa's notebook. He writes his notes in it, for his project." She was looking at the pages marked with nervous and sharp handwriting. The two women looked at her in silence having noticed - not without pain - the kid's use of the present tense. They helped the girl up, and then Setsuna noticed an envelope half buried in the sand and grabbed it. It was a letter addressed to Prof. S. Tomoe. She carefully put it into her pocket.

* * * * * * * *

"I had a couple of ideas about some new songs," Yaten said to Taiki while they were taking stock of all the document-like things they had found about the passengers along with Seiya and Michiru. Almost everyone had agreed about holding a small memorial service for the victims and they wanted to try and give a name to as many as possible.

"Well it's not my major thought right now," the eldest of the Threelights spoke without lifting his eyes from the paper he was reading.

"C'mon Taiki-kun! I think they're good melodies and you can think about the lyrics when you have a little time. It's not like we have lots to do here, waiting for the rescue." The silver-haired boy smiled but his brother seemed to be bothered by his insistence.

Sensing Taiki's discomfort and seeing the hurt expression on Yaten's face Michiru decided to get the younger man's attention. Maybe Taiki wasn't in the mood for such thoughts but she didn't want to see Yaten's hope being crushed by his brother's attitude.

"Yaten-kun, let's listen to them." She prompted him. The green-eyed singer didn't need to be asked a second time. He hummed a couple of tunes with enthusiasm and perfect pitch. One in particular seemed to be a very catchy tune and soon the other expert musicians were able to hum it along. At least Michiru and Seiya were, Taiki was instead looking at them with troubled eyes, but no one seemed to notice.

Michiru's heart was beating faster and faster... she was starting to realize only then how much she had missed it, the music. It had been three entire days and she hadn't had time to even think about the music, she hadn't sung, she hadn't played her violin, and that just seemed wrong.

She looked at her friends, engrossed in a playful duet, smiling. That was how it was supposed to be, what brought them together – a common passion, not just a similar job.

They seemed happy singing despite the fact they were checking the belongings of dozens dead people, despite the fact that they were scared to death. Despite the fact that they couldn't say they'd never seen someone die, anymore.

But there they were, smiling and laughing as Seiya performed a convincing impression of Frank Sinatra, taking Michiru's hand in his own and kissing it.

That gesture brought a sense of deja vù. Someone kissing her hand... well, it wasn't like it hadn't happened hundreds of times. She was the kind of woman that inspired those gestures in her suitors and chaperones, but that one time it had been different...

Her gaze drifted across the beach to where a tall blonde figure was talking animatedly.

Haruka kissing her hand had been the last time her heart had skipped a beat in a pleasurable way, and not because of fear or pain. But then she also remembered how she had felt when she had found out the blonde had lied to her.

Thinking about it made her realize she had never smiled for more than a moment with Haruka, maybe while teasing each other, but mostly there had been something dark and painful between them, like the blonde had something that prevented her from completely enjoying her company. That darkness, that sense of hidden pain wasn't part of what she shared with her three friends and colleagues.

Yes, maybe they had different ways of experiencing their success, even different ways of experiencing the music itself, but she could relate to them, even though her heart didn't usually skip a beat.

Regardless of the fact that her music was different, it was her one true passion, her heart's favorite language, the only thing that could make her feel completely at ease... at ease with people, at ease with the world and, most of all, at ease with herself.

Music was all those things to her and it was what she had in common with them... something she surely didn't have in common with Haruka Tenoh.

"Quit it, please!" Taiki's irritated voice tore Michiru out of her reverie.

"Taiki-kun, you should relax a bit!" Yaten said, without losing his light mood. "We're working on our new album," He smiled, "you're the one always complaining about the two of us fooling around and not working hard enough!"

"Just stop! We don't even know if there _will be_ another Threelights' album!" He hissed, his eyes never leaving Seiya's.

"Taiki-kun!" Michiru scolded, "That's not a constructive attitude!" she said firmly, surprised by the weird behavior from the usually composed man.

"Michiru-chan is right, Taiki, there's no need to say such things." Seiya's gaze was challenging but only Taiki was able to notice it.

* * * * * * * *

_"Quit it, please!" His voice was pleading, disappointed, sad. He was imploring. He was begging his own brother._

_"It's none of your business! I'm not a kid anymore," Seiya replied, not even bothering to turn around, watching his older brother in the reflection of the mirror._

_"This is gonna break his heart," Taiki said, "this and what you are going to do to... _us_." He had tears in his eyes but he didn't want to give Seiya the satisfaction of seeing him cry._

_"He's not a kid any more too. He'll deal with it and so will you." Seiya's voice was trembling, but it wasn't because of the emotion. No, right now he had only one thing in mind. He wanted his brother to be gone and leave him alone!_

_"You're better than that, Seiya... You are." And with that Taiki left the dressing-room. Immediately Seiya searched in his pocket, relieved his brother was finally gone. His bitter words already just a shadow in his agitated mind. Soon he would be calmer, just a minute. Only a minute._

_'Here it is!' He extracted a little plastic bag from his pocket triumphantly, his brothers already forgotten. _

_"Now it's time for you and me to have fun..." He said out loud in the solitude of the small, dark room, his forehead wet with sweat and his eyes feverish._

_"It's not like I can't live without you, it's just that I don't _want_ to." And then he poured the powder down on the counter._

* * * * * * * *

"Does it work?" Haruka asked an engrossed Furuhata. The blond man was listening to a strange handmade radio device. He was listening through some headphones he had collected from the wreckage.

He acknowledged the car racer's presence by gesturing her to be silent as he tried to listen.

She stood there waiting for a couple of minutes, shifting from foot to foot impatiently. The sun was bright, she found it hard to keep her eyes open and her head ached.

Suddenly a hand on her shoulder startled her. "I didn't want to scare you," Setsuna smiled.

"You didn't." The blonde replied curtly at the slightly amused look of the older woman. "How is she?" She asked to change the subject.

"Well, no one likes to be lied to, but I think she'll come around." Setsuna smiled at Haruka's expression. She knew perfectly well who the blonde had been asking about but couldn't pass up such an opportunity to tease her. And her annoyed face was definitely worth it.

But then Setsuna noted Haruka was bothered by something and didn't want to try her patience any further, so she gestured to the little girl who was playing in the distance.

"_Hotaru_ is doing fine."

"Good," Haruka commented, massaging her temples.

"I need you to do something for me." This time Haruka looked at Setsuna curiously. The annoyingly insightful remarks and the mysterious attitude were unnerving, but she felt that the woman was on the right side. She felt drawn to her as though she knew her and after the horror in the cockpit and the weird radio transmissions, Haruka was beginning to feel some kind of uneasiness toward their accident and the island they had crashed on.

"I'm listening." She passed her hand through her blonde hair, which had been getting lighter and lighter after being exposed to the sun for so long over the past few days.

Setsuna gestured Haruka to follow her, then showed her the letter addressed to Tomoe. It was from the company he seemed to have worked for, something concerning DNA experiments. There were some words underlined.

"Am I supposed to understand this?" Haruka asked skeptically.

"No, you're not. But _I_ want to understand it. Besides... he said something to Hotaru about having booked different seats. Then why were they on this plane?" The tanned woman explained her doubts.

Haruka chuckled, "Well, they mixed up my reservation too. Lucky, huh?" She said sarcastically.

Setsuna looked at her intently for a moment then turned back to the letter. "Yeah, but he seemed concerned about it... like..." She stopped, not sure whether to go on or not.

"Like what?" Haruka was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"I don't know... yet. But something's wrong," Setsuna stated, still looking at the letter. "Are you OK?" she said as she turned to Haruka who was squinting her eyes in obvious pain.

"Of course there's something wrong! We're drying out on this damn beach!" Haruka snapped, to Setsuna's and Furuhata's surprise.

The blonde immediately apologized, explaining her head hurt and that she was very tired. Setsuna looked at her indulgently and continued on like nothing had happened.

"I was saying... He seemed to know things. In his notes I found some reference to the flight date and... well it's probably only a coincidence," She dismissed the subject.

"What can I do for you then?" Haruka was even more curious at this point.

"I'd like for you to bring me any of Prof. Tomoe's belongings before we burn the airplane down. Hotaru says he had his briefcase with him. She says he never left it unguarded," She informed them. Haruka nodded and was already leaving when Setsuna's voice made her stop in her tracks.

"I asked Michiru, too. I trust only the two of you." Haruka froze. The last conversation she had with the aqua-haired violinist hadn't been exactly friendly and right now, in her state of mind, meeting Michiru was the last thing she wanted to do.

* * * * * * * *

"I'm telling you Taiki-kun, it's gonna work. We'll be at the top all over again. Seiya's voice never fails. And if we can convince Michiru-san to do a duet instead of just the violin solo... well, it'll be terrific. She has a great voice too and just think of the male audience!" Yaten's enthusiasm was getting on Taiki's nerves.

How could his brother be so snobbish and sophisticated and yet so naïve at the same time? That aspect of him had always amused Taiki but right now he just wanted to shake him so hard that he would literally come out of his 'Seiya's-the-best-Seiya's-always-right' reverie. But he knew he couldn't do that.

"Enough! I don't want to think about it Yaten, we have more important things to be concerned with right now." His well-known patience was wearing thinner and thinner.

* * * * * * * *

_"What?!?" Taiki was shocked. Here they were in their kitchen sipping milk like every other morning... but it wasn't a common morning. That very night they had the biggest concert of their career, one that could definitely give them the status of worldwide pop-stars but..."You're joking! You can't Seiya, this is wrong, and you know it!" He was incredulous; his own brother was stabbing him – _them_ – in the back._

_"C'mon Taiki, it's a great chance for me." He was calm, too calm for such a conversation, almost cheerful while he was dooming not just their career but even their brotherhood to a painful end._

_"No! No, you can't." Taiki was shaking his head, still incredulous. "Beside you can't write a note nor decent lyrics, how are you supposed to have songs to sing?" Now he was trying to reason with him but his brother seemed unwilling to do so._

_"Oh, well..." Seiya smiled broadly and inappropriately, "You know... it's _me_ they come to see and listen to. It's _me_ who brings them to tears, who make them swoon. It's not about those ordinary melodies Yaten writes. And it's certainly not about your sloppy lyrics. It's about _me_!" He had raised his voice, he wasn't calm anymore, now he seemed agitated, with his eyes flashing, and his hands moving frantically. "Me and my pretty face and warm voice. It's _me_!"_

_Now he was yelling, having turned from cheerful and indifferent to arrogant and enraged in a minute flat. His forehead glistened with sweat and his eyes were bloodshot. His pupils were as small as needle-heads and he was panting._

_"You haven't quit Seiya..." Taiki was looking intently at his brother's eyes, "Shit! You promised me! You promised me... for Yaten's sake..." If Seiya would have been lucid enough he would have probably flinched at his brother's disappointed and pained voice, but he wasn't lucid._

_He was paranoid, he felt like his brothers were holding him back, preventing him from showing the world he was the best... the best singer, the best of the Kou brothers. The most charming, handsome and talented._

_He felt like... he had to leave the band to be unique. He _deserved_ to be unique. He deserved to be the one admired, the one idolized._

_"Seiya, you're killing our career - _Yaten_'s career - for Kami's sake! And you're killing yourself with that damn thing!" This time Taiki couldn't help but let his long-held tears fall down his cheeks. He was the eldest, he wasn't supposed to fall apart, he had never fallen apart before... but this time... this time he just felt helpless. _

_And so he cried, sobbing like a baby, a grown thirty-one year old man. Taiki Kou, international pop-star, eldest brother, always composed; and sobbing loudly, his head bent in shame and defeat._

_Seiya looked at his distraught brother, blinking. He was confused... why was he so helpless? Why did he seem so hurt?_

_'It isn't my fault,' he thought, 'It can't be my fault, I love Taiki, I could never do something bad to him... it's not my fault... it's not my fault it's not myfault it'snotmyfaultit'snotmyfaultit'snotmyfault...'_

_Then Seiya's clouded mind realized what had happened. He tried to recall what he had said to Taiki, but he couldn't. He knew he had to have said something hurtful and that somehow he hadn't cared... but he did, he did care about his brother. Then why? Why was it all so complicated, so confused?_

_He slumped down at Taiki's side sobbing. They remained there for a long time, their tears almost refreshing. At some point they had even found themselves hugging and comforting each other._

_Taiki recomposed himself first worried about Yaten's imminent return. He didn't want him to see his brothers like that._

_"C'mon Seiya, stand up." He almost missed his brother's murmur._

_"It's not the drugs." he said looking up at Taiki, "I really want to give it a try on my own. I can quit with the drugs, but I'm not giving up my chance of success." He was resolute. "It will be until the end of the US tour with Michiru, then I'm off." His voice had gained energy, and now he stood, resolve in his eyes._

_"It's wrong Seiya, not just for the Threelights but for you too. You can't make it without us." Taiki's voice was firm and then it turned cold, expressionless, as his light lilac eyes watched his younger brother, "But if this is what you want, then do it. But remember, when you do it you won't be my brother anymore."_

* * * * * * * *

She had always had an ambivalent relation with silence. Silence is an essential part of music, it marks the rhythm, it makes you anxious about what will follow. Sometimes she even loved it, when she was relaxed, when she didn't want to think or feel anything. It was useful. But when silence was forced, awkward or even resentful, then she hated it.

In that particular moment Michiru hated silence. Only minutes ago she was singing and laughing with her friends, and yet now the mood was heavy, almost suffocating. But then again, she was the one who was giving the cold shoulder, she was the one who was being resentful.

She looked at Haruka's back. She was walking ahead, at a fast pace. She seemed to never slow down, it seemed as though the more upset she was the faster she moved. Michiru thought she had never met such a restless person in her life. Even now she could see her slumped shoulders and clenched fists. And she was so pale – she felt a sudden wave of sympathy, but then remembered – painfully – why it was so awkward.

'Why?' She thought. Was it because her trust had been betrayed? Or was it because Haruka hadn't trusted her enough to tell her? And since when had she cared so much about people's trust?

But it wasn't just 'people's trust'. She knew Haruka was a stranger and she had never cared for strangers much, but it had been different with the blonde, it had _felt_ different since the moment they met.

She had felt drawn to her, at ease, curious enough to sometimes try to get through Haruka's defenses in order to get to know her better. How strange.

She wondered if Haruka felt the same way, but she knew she could never ask and anyway she would probably never get a straight answer.

'Maybe she lied for a good reason...' That indulgent thought had been lingering in her head since she had woken up that morning. She couldn't picture Haruka being manipulative and calculating; so far she had only seen her caring side and her resolved side. No. She could not see Haruka as the ultimate deceiver. But she couldn't deny the fact that the blonde had lied. That she had been hurt by a person she thought she could trust with her life.

"Here... you have to cover your mouth and nose." Haruka's husky voice reached her, suddenly tearing her away from her thoughts. The blonde was lending her a shred of cloth. She took it and brought it to her nose, finding it smelled strongly of mint. She looked at Haruka inquisitively, raising her brows.

"I could only find toothpaste. The smell in there is bad." The blonde told her before she put her own piece of cloth on her nose and entered the airplane.

Inside the plane was dark and not as warm as Michiru had expected, fortunately the thick foliage had protected it from the direct sun. Nonetheless, the smell of putrefying flesh was strong and Michiru had to fight to keep from retching. She followed Haruka deeper between the rows of seats that had been the Economy Class until they reached the Business Class.

Michiru tried not to look at the corpses but the glimpses of livid, swollen bodies would be impressed forever in her mind.

Suddenly she bumped against Haruka who had stopped unexpectedly.

"There." The blonde said, pointing right ahead. She searched the seats for the briefcase with no success.

"Are you sure that's the right seat?" Michiru asked after a minute.

"Yes, I'm sure." At the inquisitive look she added, "That's my luggage, up there, so that was his seat." She pointed up to the trunk where a little black trolley hanged half-crushed.

"Ara Haruka, you're not going to burn up your things, are you?" Michiru asked her, half incredulous and half amused, with the patronizing look of a mother scolding her child.

Haruka instinctively blushed and lowered her eyes, mumbling something about forgetting and having more important things to think of, although she did grab the handle with her good arm and pull until it was disentangled.

When she looked at the aqua-haired woman again she found her amused, almost laughing.

"What's so funny?" Haruka frowned.

"Nothing..." But she giggled and received a disapproving look from the blonde. "It's weird, you know... but sometimes you look like a child." Michiru said, smiling, making Haruka blush even more.

"And you're scolding me, which makes you look like an old nanny." The blonde mumbled. Michiru chuckled again and watched the blonde bending to search behind another seat.

Sensing the violinist's eyes on her back, Haruka turned and looked up. Their eyes locked for a long moment and their expression turned serious.

Michiru was studying those teal eyes intently, searching for a hint of deception and was met again by that strange feeling of belonging. Why did she seem unable to shake it off? Why was it every time she looked at the blonde she felt like she knew her? And why did she wanted so bad to forgive her?

"You're not going to lie to me again, are you?" Michiru broke the silence, her eyes piercing through Haruka.

The blonde passed her hand through her hair nervously but didn't answer.

"I see..." Michiru's said, hurt... again.

"Please..." Haruka's voice failed her, and she looked down in frustration. After a moment she continued, "It's just that... I-I don't..." Then she stopped again, unable to find the right words.

"You don't... what?" Michiru's eyes were burning with rage and Haruka couldn't hold her gaze. "That's it, I understand." She finally said and turned her back to the blonde.

"I don't... I don't want you to be scared... and hopeless..." Haruka's voice was lacking in strength but was still clear enough to be heard. Michiru turned around, her eyes determined, hard.

"Haruka... How can I not be scared? Look around you. These people are _dead_." She gestured with her hand, "Dead! Maybe you see dead people every day, but I don't... Of course I'm scared." Michiru's words were harsh but somehow liberating, nobody had yet mentioned the fact that dozens of people had died. And with the liberating words came the liberating tears and when she looked at Haruka again she was crying silently.

"I know..." Haruka's heart clenched at that sight, "Please, forgive me." Her voice was gentle but her eyes pained, she wanted so much to reassure Michiru. To swear to her she wouldn't lie to her, ever again.

'But you're lying to her, even now...' Her inner voice pointed out, mocking. 'Coward!' Haruka shook her head, 'Liar!'

'Oh, shut up!' Her temples were throbbing.

'You're lying. Again.'

'I can't tell her we're lost, it'd just destroy her.'

'You don't have the right to decide for her.'

'I told you to shut up!'

'If you really wanted me to shut up... you'd make me. I'm in your head, after all.' But the laughter that followed sounded so real that she responded out loud.

"Shut the hell up!" Haruka's pained voice reached Michiru who turned, frowning. The blonde was shaking her head violently, her face buried in her hands.

"Haruka, are you OK?" The gentle and worried voice with the soothing touch of Michiru's hand on her shoulder brought back Haruka to reality. She opened her eyes and looked intently at her companion as though she was trying identify her, then her expression relaxed.

"I'm fine. It's just this damn headache." She tried to dismiss the subject by returning to the task at hand, hoping Michiru did that to.

The violinist looked at the blonde for a minute, skeptical, then shrugged and started searching the plane's floor for the briefcase. She was a little relieved she had had the opportunity to talk with Haruka.

The smell was starting to make its way to their noses and more than once they had to cooperate in order to move every kind of debris getting in the way; yet still there was no sign of Tomoe's briefcase.

Michiru was trying to ignore all the unknown faces and bodies still trapped under the metallic shards of the airframe when a strange symbol got her attention: a five-pointed star with the infinity symbol in the middle. She kneeled down to get a closer look and noticed it wasn't just one but a pattern printed on some fabric and then it was clear that it was the lining of... a briefcase! Finally!

She tried to pull the opened case out, but something was keeping it down. She pulled harder and it suddenly gave away, making her fall back on the floor with a yelp. With the briefcase in her lap she sat down, looking around in front of her to what had kept the case stuck. She saw the dirtied white shirt and red scarf, then made out the contour of arms and a torso, then looked down to the torn skirt barely covering the legs. It was the uniform of the airline staff.

Instinctively her eyes drifted to the face. It was almost unrecognizable, but the brown hair was still tied into two pigtails...

She couldn't stifle a sob. 'What was her name?' Michiru felt suddenly guilty because she couldn't remember the name of the young attendant, although she had signed a dedication to her only four days ago.

Her sobs caught Haruka's attention, she found Michiru still on the floor, the briefcase secured against her chest, staring blankly ahead.

"Yumi!" Michiru's voice was just a whisper. "It's a cute name. Don't you think Yumi is a cute name?"

Haruka frowned at the flat, emotionless tone and the sad look in Michiru's eyes. She lifted the shorter woman from the floor very gently. Michiru's cheeks were streaked with silent tears. Haruka looked at her and smiled sadly, "Yes. It's a very cute name." And took the briefcase from the violinist's hands.

"They're dead." Michiru murmured, "They're all dead... and we are not." They had lost the cloths for their noses but didn't seem to care, "Is there a reason?" She looked at Haruka intently. She wanted an answer. "Is there a reason for us to be alive?" She insisted, her voice louder.

"No, I don't think there is." Haruka felt compelled to answer honestly at the cost of sounding cynical.

"Or maybe there is a reason." Michiru turned to look at Haruka again, "Do you believe in destiny?" She asked, walking slowly ahead of Haruka, to the exit.

"No, I don't. I think we decide the path of our own lives. The rest... is coincidence."

* * * * * * * *

"We should check the plane one more time before burning it down." Seiya said.

"But we did it three times already." Lita protested from the shadowed spot they had designated as the 'kitchen'.

"I know, but you can never know," The singer insisted. "I can do it myself, if you don't want to. I don't mind." He offered. The brunette shrugged and kept chopping the boar meat skillfully.

"Better safe than sorry... One more trip into the airplane won't kill anybody... I hope." Dr. Mizuno said half-joking... half not. The fatalistic woman was trying to hide her discouragement behind a morbid sense of humor, but the response was cold or even exasperated in tone.

"Mom!" Ami scolded her.

"I'll take the risk." Seiya said, winking at the female members of the small group. Some of them smiled back, especially Serena who seemed to be the most sensitive to his charm.

Taiki watched him attentively then followed him to the plane at a distance. They crossed paths with Haruka and Michiru heading back to the camp. His aqua-haired friend was pale and obviously upset and gave him just a small wave of her hand, while the blonde who had a briefcase under an arm and a small trolley in the other hand seemed lost in her thoughts and didn't even acknowledge him.

When he reached the plane Seiya was already inside. Taiki brought his arm to his face as soon as he was assaulted by the smell. He looked at Seiya who had his face covered with a white cloth and was clearly searching for something.

When the younger man saw him he waved to him, telling him he was there to help him. Seiya seemed suspicious and slightly annoyed but he didn't say anything.

He looked at Taiki for a moment then got back to his task. 'It has to be here...' He thought, having spotted the exact place he was looking for.

His hand was too big for the little crease and he scratched it painfully but eventually he managed to grab what he had been looking for. He put securely into his pants pocket, hoping Taiki hadn't seen anything.

But unfortunately for him, out of the corner of his eye, Taiki saw his brother's suspicious movement and all his fears were confirmed. He closed his eyes for a moment.

'Seiya... why?' He thought bitterly.

* * * * * * * *

_"Thank you guys!" The microphone spread the excited voice throughout the entire crowded square and the reply was delirious. The enthusiastic audience clapped and whistled and cried out for the Threelights._

_The past three hours had been a mutual exchange of emotions. Hearing all those people cheering for them was almost intoxicating._

_Finally the lights went off and the three exhausted but enthusiastic brothers stepped down off the stage. They were sweating and panting but none could tell whether it was for physical or emotional exertion. It had been the first live concert since the release of their hugely successful album. They were still incredulous at the enthusiasm their music had raised. They knew they had sold many copies but to be able to actually see those people, to actually feel their enthusiasm... well, that was mind-blowing._

_"Seiya you've been great tonight!" Yaten hugged his brother, tears of joy in his eyes._

_"It wasn't just me, we've been all amazing. The Threelights!" Seiya hugged him back tightly._

_"Well, it was a total success." Taiki stated, always calm, getting an exasperated look from his younger brothers._

_"Taiki, you're impossible!" They laughed loudly as they walked to their small dressing-room. In the corridor they were stopped by several people congratulating them, some of the staff even asking for autographs. They shook dozens of hands and were even offered some business cards. That was it. That was success._

_They almost immediately found out success was overwhelming and they were happy to finally reach the dressing-room and shut all that chaos out._

_Once inside Yaten ran to his bag and took out a small disposable camera, he hugged his brothers and clicked._

_"Yaten! You could have warned, I think I had my mouth open..." Taiki scolded._

_"Don't worry bro', you couldn't look prettier than me anyway!" Seiya winked._

* * * * * * * *

The young woman was going through all the documents and belongings of the passengers, at least those they had been able to recover. It was sad, prying into lives of people who were dead. It felt so wrong, so unfair. She was a plain girl, who wasn't one to think about the 'big issues', but lately she had become very aware about the meaning of life and now – unfortunately - of the meaning of death too.

Right when a life was growing inside her ready to come into the world several lives had been cut short apparently without a reason, and that was scary.

"Hi, you've done all those on your own already? Do you need help with the others?" The timid and imperfect English was sounded surprisingly comforting. Umino, the weird and sweet Japanese boy, had been so kind to her those past days and she was getting used to spending time with him, although sometimes his clumsiness irritated her slightly. He sat next to her and began looking through the personal belongings.

"I feel like I know them now. I can say which job or hobby each one used to do... they were good people." She managed a smile despite the subject and he blushed sweetly.

They looked at each other for a minute searching each other's eyes for comfort before he couldn't stand her gaze anymore and turned, beginning to tick off the ID's from the passenger list Furuhata had recovered from the cockpit.

In the meantime Serena was looking for Rei, who seemed to have suddenly disappeared, and after half an hour of searching she found her in a very secluded spot, meditating under the shadow of a tree. When she was close enough she whispered Rei's name.

"If you intend to disturb me anyway, why are you whispering?" The miko said rudely as she opened her eyes.

"Sorry." Serena said apologetically, "Actually I'm here to ask you something." She smiled at the black-haired girl who had to surrender and drop her defensive demeanor, returning the smile.

"What did you want to ask me?"

"Well, we're going to burn the airplane," She began and when the dark haired girl nodded she continued, "well we'd like to do some sort of... you know... _service_." She said, unsure of how the miko would react. "And well... we... I-I thought you'd be the more appropriate person, you or your grandfather."

"You want me to perform some sort of _funeral?_" Rei asked a little skeptical. Although she had thought about it a couple of times these past two days, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable, but could be the fact that she had had a weird feeling since they had crashed on that beach. There was something off about that place although she hadn't been able to understand what exactly. Yet it was clear the little community needed that reassuring gesture, just to make them feel like they were still in some sort of civilized world.

"Yeah, something like that." Serena said, and when she saw reluctance in the young miko she tried to justify the request, "I know many of us aren't Japanese let alone Shinto but I think that's not very important right now. All those people deserve a decent burial..."

"Of course, you're right, I'll ask my grandfather and maybe I can translate." She concluded with a small smile as she stood.

"Great!" The blonde's enthusiasm could have sounded utterly out of place in those circumstances but Rei couldn't help but smile inwardly at her spontaneity, though she looked at the blonde scoldingly.

* * * * * * * *

"Have you found what you've been looking for?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know as soon as it starts to make sense." Haruka had expected a negative answer by Setsuna so she was now intrigued, and curious about Tomoe's papers which they had found in the briefcase, but she immediately realized the tanned woman had no intention of explaining herself further. She hadn't even lifted her eyes from the paper in her lap and was already totally engrossed in her reading.

The blonde shrugged and decided to go help collecting wood to burn the plane but as she turned she heard a tiny voice calling her name – or to be exact her new nickname.

"Haruka-papa," She turned to see Hotaru with her little hand stretched for her to take it. Haruka looked at the kid quizzically but she didn't say anything, she just shook her hand urging her to take it and follow her. Haruka submitted to the silent request, unable to deny the little girl. She let herself be guided by that tiny hand in her large one. They walked closer to the shore and Hotaru stopped then squeezed Haruka's hand and pointed to a spot which wasn't too distant.

There, with her bare feet grazed by the water stood Michiru. The wind ruffled her silky aqua hair and she was embracing herself to keep the chill of the wind away.

The only thing Haruka could think at that moment was how beautiful she was. It was a melancholic and poetic view, but she knew what lay beneath it. She knew why Michiru was troubled and the reality of it hit her. Once again she felt the urge to do something to ease the violinist's pain, to see those ocean blue eyes sparkle with a smile. And once again she felt impotent, unable to spare Michiru from the horrors they were surrounded by.

"She's sad." Hotaru's voice tore her from her thoughts.

"I know." Haruka replied still looking intently in the distance. The child pulled her closer to the violinist but Haruka was reluctant now. She felt so inadequate, she was incapable of dealing with emotions, not even her own. What could she say to someone dealing with the unfairness of life and death? Someone feeling as helpless as she felt? What had she to offer?

She had already given Michiru the only thing she could... a _lie_. The false hope that they could be rescued.

'And she will hate you for that.' Her inner voice stated bitterly.

"Maybe she needs to play." Hotaru once again ripped Haruka from her dark thoughts and now looked up at the tall blonde resolutely.

"When I'm sad I play with my dolls." The kid explained answering Haruka's quizzical look. That childish comment reminded Haruka the girl was only six and she smiled at her indulgently.

"Maybe you're right." The racer replied and now it was her who gently pulled the little girl, prompting her to walk further. "Maybe she needs a different kind of playing though..."

"What kind of playing, Haruka-papa?" Hotaru asked making Haruka realize she had spoken her thoughts out loud. Hotaru pulled Haruka's sleeve when she didn't answer right away.

How to explain to a child things like that? How to explain that sometimes your feelings can be so unbearable you have to convene them into something and let them out or you go crazy? How to explain her that adults need things to make sense, always, even when there is no sense in them?

How to explain Hotaru that Michiru was feeling guilty of being alive? It would be like explaining to a six-year-old why her father would die, leaving her all alone in the world. Such things could never be explained, maybe because there was no believable explanation.

But Hotaru was waiting for an answer and she gave her one, the one that could make sense for a little girl.

"Well, Michiru-..." She hesitated a moment, still new to the affectionate nicknames the kid had given them, "...-mama is a musician and I guess she's used to play her violin when she's sad."

"Oh..." Hotaru was fascinated at the idea of someone playing an instrument but she was also skeptical at the thought anyone could prefer anything but playing with dolls.

As they approached Michiru, only a few feet away, Hotaru kept looking at her then at Haruka, then back at the violinist.

Finally she asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for a minute now, "Haruka-papa, what do you do when _you're_ sad?" That question took the blonde by surprise, but she eluded it long enough for them to finally reach the aqua-haired woman, hoping the kid's attention would be taken elsewhere by then.

"Hey..." Michiru's pained look shifted from the shore ahead to the two new arrivals. First she met Haruka's teal, worried eyes then Hotaru's curious ones and she couldn't help but smile slightly while bending to caress her smooth tiny cheek. When she was eye-level with the little girl she winked at her.

"I think she runs." She said softly. It took a moment for Hotaru to realize Michiru had heard her question and was answering it in Haruka's place. The blonde furrowed her brows, uncomfortable with the accuracy of Michiru's observation.

The violinist looked at the taller woman intently for a moment, as if she was pondering something. She observed the blonde growing more and more nervous under her scrutiny until she could no longer hold her gaze and lowered her teal eyes. That seemed to bring Michiru back to reality – she turned to Hotaru and smiled.

"She runs... when she doesn't go around punching poor innocent trees." She said chuckling showing Hotaru Haruka's dirty bandage.

The little girl glanced Haruka a quizzical look as the car-racer instinctively tried to hide her hand behind her back, embarrassed. At that childish gesture Michiru couldn't help but laugh, bringing Hotaru along. The two kept laughing for a minute uncaring of Haruka's mumbling about 'a conspiracy' to make fun of her.

After a while they were all relaxed, sitting down on the sand and talking.

"It's quite beautiful here." Haruka stated looking at the shore.

"Yes, it is..." Michiru agreed softly.

Hotaru was searching for seashells not paying attention to the two adults.

"So, have you unpacked?" Michiru asked still looking at the horizon.

It was obviously a joke but Haruka was taken aback by the serious tone. "Emh... well... actually no, I haven't."

"Oh..." The blonde was surprised at the hint of disappointment in Michiru's voice.

"Well, I couldn't find a closet to store my numerous clothes..." She tried to lighten the violinist's mood and Michiru noticed it. She smiled at the blonde, acknowledging Haruka's effort. Unfortunately her smile never reached her eyes.

Suddenly Haruka heard someone call for her and then saw Furuhata running towards them waving a sheet of paper.

When he reached he showed them a couple of lines written in his small nervous handwriting.

"I intercepted 'em again!" He said grinning, but his enthusiasm met Haruka's unreadable expression and Michiru's confused look.

The violinist was surprised to notice the total lack of reaction followed by Furuhata's disappointment. She had observed the young man and she liked him; his optimism was contagious. He had always a smile on his face and a resolute outlook. He had taken the strange voices his improvised radio intercepted very seriously and although they had crashed four days ago he seemed absolutely certain something was about to happen any minute.

Michiru had thought more than once that it was a bit odd that no rescue party had found them yet and in her darkest moments she had even thought no one would ever come, but for her own sake she had pushed that grim thought to the back of her mind. It was much healthier to let herself be carried away by his optimism.

With a kind smile Michiru prompted him to continue, noticing that he and Haruka exchanged weird glances.

"I tried to transcribe what I was able to make out, the signal isn't clear." He read it out loud, it wasn't a very long and it was often interrupted by blank spaces when he had been unable to understand the words being said.

"Ara, I don't get it. What was all that, about the animals?" Michiru voiced her confusion, "The bears and the mouse and kitties... what is it? A zoo?" It was very strange indeed.

"I don't know, maybe I had things mixed up." Furuhata admitted, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, "Anyway, I tried to send them an S.O.S...." He continued, his eyes sparkling with hope.

Michiru smiled but noticed once again Haruka being cold – to say the least. And now she seemed a little impatient too.

"So!?" Haruka couldn't wait anymore and she bluntly prompted him to tell them about it.

He hesitated, a little scared by the blonde's tone, "Y-You know, we can't even receive properly..."

"Furuhata-kun..." Michiru gently invited him to continue, sending a disapproving glance at Haruka.

"Well... they hadn't acknowledged it... they hadn't received it..." He concluded, not having the courage to look the blonde in the eye. "But... but, we haven't a proper antenna. If I could find a way to amplify the signal then maybe..."

"Yeah, sure..." Haruka dismissed the subject with a gesture of her hand and stood, walking away and following Hotaru who was now running along the seashore.

Furuhata frowned, hurt by her behavior, but he knew Haruka didn't share his optimism. The only thing they shared was the notion that it was unlikely they would be found in a short time, and that it had to remain a secret between the two of them.

"I don't know why, but we can receive their signal clearer than they can receive ours." He said to Michiru, a little frustration in his voice.

"You're doing an incredible job, Furuhata-kun." She said sincerely.

"I try..." He replied glancing at Haruka in the distance.

"You're doing fine, believe me. And don't worry about her," She said following his gaze, "I'm sure she thinks exactly the same." Her voice softened, "She just won't admit it."

"Maybe you're right." Furuhata smiled skeptically, "Actually she doesn't look good, at all. She looks very tired." He stated.

"Yeah..." Michiru's agreed, her worried eyes fixed on the blonde, "besides, I don't think she has much patience." She concluded smiling slightly.

"Yeah." Furuhata agreed, smiling too.

"By the way Michiru-san, did you hang with Seiya-san today?" He suddenly changed the subject. Michiru jumped like she had been pinched: she had completely forgot about Seiya – actually she had forgot about everything, being completely absorbed by her dark thoughts.

"Just this morning, why?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing, it's just that... I saw him and his brother – the older one - a little on edge today, if you know what I mean, and they hadn't seemed to me to be the kind of brothers who argue a lot."

"No, they're not. Thank you for telling me. I'll go check on them." She thanked him and stood, walking to the camp with him, unaware of the two teal eyes looking at her from the shore.

* * * * * * * *

The forest in that spot wasn't too thick and the camp was only few yards away, but nonetheless Taiki was slightly uncomfortable after having listened to his brothers' tales of the day before. Keeping that in mind he kept following Seiya through the woods from a distance on the awkward path. He felt guilty for being so secretive and subtle with his own brother but he kept reminding himself he was doing it with his best interests in mind. And not just that, he was also trying to protect Yaten – as always.

But lately he had reconsidered things. Maybe it was time to let his brothers deal with their own lives, without interfering. Maybe that was the best thing he could do. Seiya was on the brink of the abyss and maybe it was already too late for him. Yaten, on the other hand, was old enough to face the situation without Taiki pampering him anymore.

It was a reasonable train of thought but his heart said different. He knew Seiya wasn't a bad man, he knew that he had done everything without bad intentions. Yes, he was ambitious but could he really blame him for that? Of course he had made some big mistakes but he also deserved his brothers' help. He had just lost his way and as Taiki was the eldest he had the responsibility of helping him back on the right track.

And Yaten... well to stop trying to protect Yaten was the most difficult thing to do for him. Since their parents had died, both Seiya and Taiki had been overprotective of the young boy who had always been so sensitive. So the mere thought of letting him be hurt – especially by his own idolized brother – was unthinkable.

With this inner conflict between reason and heart going on Taiki proceeded into the woods oblivious that Seiya had already noticed him.

'What the Hell does he want now?' Seiya was beyond annoyed. He felt suffocated with his brothers constantly all over him when the only thing he wanted right now, was to be left alone.

It had been hard enough eluding Yaten. His younger brother was clingy to say the least, always looking for his company, especially since the crash. In the past his unfaltering admiration had been flattering but now, it was overwhelming.

'Maybe it's because I feel guilty about leaving the band...' Seiya thought honestly.

With Taiki it was different. Their arguing had become a daily routine. They had tried to hide it mostly not to upset Yaten – or Michiru, recently – but it was obvious there was a trust issue between the two of them. Something had broken and there was probably no fixing it.

Even facing death together hadn't been enough to bring them close again. Yaten was still shocked but acted like nothing happened, not allowing his brothers to help him, and Taiki... well, Taiki seemed even more paranoid than ever. And Seiya thought it was time to face him once and for all.

He hid behind a big trunk and waited for his brother to pass by. When Taiki realized he had lost Seiya's tracks he swore under his breath.

"It's so rude... swearing like that." The sarcastic comment took Taiki by surprise. He turned around to see Seiya standing tall and resolute in front of him.

"What the hell are you doing?" The black-haired man was hardly keeping his voice down.

"What do you mean?" Taiki played dumb on instinct, but was immediately ashamed of his childish behavior.

"Don't play games with me, Taiki!" Seiya raised his voice, clenching his fists. The two men exchanged a burning look, the pent-up tension finally about to find its release.

"You know perfectly well why I'm here." Taiki said firmly, "It's about that... shit." He said.

"Now now Taiki-kun, cursing doesn't suit you." Sarcasm was Seiya's usual way of being defensive and Taiki knew it, but he was tired of being understanding.

"That's enough, Seiya! I trusted you... despite everything." He said, "You swore you'd quit. You said it looking me in the eyes." He was now mere inches from his brother, towering over him.

"And it was the truth, damn it!" Seiya yelled at him in frustration, "Why can't you believe me for once?" He had tears in his eyes, but they were tears of rage. And it only got worse when Taiki chuckled.

"You're actually asking me why can't I trust you?! Are you serious?" Taiki was incredulous. Was Seiya really so oblivious of what he had done?

"You betrayed us, Seiya. You stabbed your own brothers in the back and now you're asking why can't I trust you?" The older man's voice seemed to have lost some of its strength as he continued, "Trust is something you have to gain and, well, your behavior hasn't been exactly trustworthy." He said shaking his head.

Seiya knew his brother was right, he had lost his right to be trusted by them, but...

"Please, stop it. Stop lying to me," Taiki murmured, finally defeated even by his own resentment. He paused for a moment, his shoulder slumped, his eyes still locked with Seiya's, "I'm tired of it. Stop it."

Seiya was taken aback at seeing his older brother on the verge of tears, his taller frame getting smaller and smaller as the resignation seemed to weigh physically on his shoulders.

Taiki _did_ felt like the entire world had been on his shoulders for so much time now, and he had miserably collapsed under its weight. He felt like a failure as an older brother; one of his siblings was killing himself with drugs and had betrayed them whilst the other one was about to be heartbroken. He had failed to keep his family together.

Seiya looked intently at his brother. It pained him to see Taiki so defenseless, and it pained him to know he was the reason of it. And when the first tear actually fell down Taiki's cheek Seiya felt so much guilt that he did what most people would do when their feelings become unbearable... he struck back. Ferociously.

"Taiki you're pathetic. Crying like a baby. I'm sure you're blaming yourself for everything! You're so weak..." He laughed in his brother's face, mercilessly. His heart turned into stone.

Taiki was shocked at first, but then he could hardly keep himself from punching Seiya in the face.

"Sorry to point it out brother, but it's not about you. That's my career, my life. You're only good for throwing moralism in the faces of those who have more guts than you!"

Those were cruel words and Seiya knew it, but right now he just wanted Taiki to leave him alone. He didn't need someone constantly reminding him of his mistakes.

Taiki was literally torn to pieces. But after a long moment he suddenly felt his resignation disappear leaving room for his pride and a rage he had never thought possible to take over. He straightened himself up and stood towering over his younger brother, barely keeping himself from hitting him with all his strength.

"Enough! I won't let you throw your shit on me anymore! You're just a mean, pathetic boy who can't see the right thing to do because you're all wrapped in your own little world in which you can feel great, because you know that out of there, you're just a vacuous person who can care only for himself." He was shouting and he had raised his hand ready to hit Seiya. "I've had enough of you! Go to Hell Seiya! You can kill yourself for what I care!" Then, surprisingly enough, Taiki turned to leave. But he had to stop in his tracks: in front of him, his pale green eyes full of tears, stood a shocked Yaten.

"Yaten-kun..." When he tried to comfort his little brother with a hand on his shoulder, Yaten withdrew abruptly glaring at him.

"Why?!? Why are you talking to him that way?" Yaten's eyes were full of disgust and pain. "You have no right-..." He hadn't been there enough to hear the whole argument.

"You don't understand Yaten-kun!" Taiki was even more frustrated that Yaten was still oblivious of the reality of the situation.

"Oh, no Taiki, I'm not stupid. I've noticed in this past month you had lost little chances to get at Seiya-kun, always criticizing and scolding." He held Taiki's eyes, "But this? This is too much. What you just said to him... I can't stand it. I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore." Yaten tone was hurt and resolute. Taiki was incredulous, that couldn't be happening... No... no that was it. He had to know.

During this unexpected diversion Seiya had the chance to calm himself down. As his brothers argued he finally came to his senses. It was all wrong. He shook his head in the useless attempt to erase what had just happened from his mind, but he couldn't. He now saw the absurdity of all that but he was like stuck to the ground where he stood, unable to move, to run away, but neither to intervene.

After the first moment of shock Taiki decided to put aside the protectiveness that he had always had about Yaten, it was now time to show him the world for what it was...

"Yaten, it's time for you to know exactly where your trust and admiration go... Ask your dear brother what he's hiding in his pocket." He said pointing an accusing finger to Seiya.

Yaten furrowed his brow in silence, looking questioningly at Seiya. Seeing him hesitating Taiki insisted, "Come on Yaten... ask him. Ask him what it's in his pocket that he was so anxious to recover from the plane..." Still no one moved or talked. "Ok, I'll ask him... or better I'll _tell_ you, just to be sure he doesn't lie. _Again_." Taiki looked from one brother to the other, finally feeling the weight of his humiliation lift from his shoulders. "It's heroin, Yaten."

Yaten's eyes went wide, he immediately searched Seiya's look for some sign of indignation for that absurd accusation, but he found none. Seiya just stood there, a blank look in his eyes. Yaten shook his head as his own eyes filled with tears and his heart broke.

"Seiya-kun say something! Come on! This is ridiculous..." His voice trailed off when he realized Seiya wasn't denying anything. Instead he seemed to surrender to the accusations as only a guilty person would.

"Oh no... No no no..." Yaten brought his hands to his mouth in shock, silent streams of tears descending down his smooth cheeks.

Taiki couldn't stand the sight of his little brother falling apart and turned his head. Seiya was petrified, he couldn't move nor talk, he couldn't even breathe.

When he saw the hurt and disappointment in Yaten's eyes he felt his heart stop for a moment, and closed his own eyes trying to replace that picture with one of his little brother admiring him, loving him... but he couldn't.

It was gone. The truth had destroyed everything with such brutality that Seiya had to look around to make sure the world was still there.

Nobody moved for a moment until Seiya came to his senses and buried his hand in his pocket, searching furiously.

Finally he stepped forward and stopped in front of Taiki and showed him what he had in his pocket.

It was a picture, all wrinkled and dirty. It showed the three of them in a lopsided shot, their faces magnified by the closeness with the camera. Taiki on the left had his mouth comically open wide, in the middle was Seiya, his smile as charming as ever as he winked, and Yaten had his arm stretched in front of himself, obviously holding the camera and laughing.

They all remembered when the picture was taken; they all remembered they had been happy back then. With all their dreams within reach and the future still to be discovered. And most of all, they had never been closer as a family.

Suddenly a transparent drop wet the picture Taiki had taken in his hand. Yaten looked up to the sky by instinct expecting the rain, but it wasn't a raindrop. Before he could say anything Seiya's hoarse voice broke the silence.

"I thought I'd lost it, and I couldn't bear it..." He gulped down the lump in his throat right when Yaten's eyes filled with hope, "...but what Taiki said, about the heroin... it's the truth. I _was_ a drug addict... I had been for over a year..." He couldn't go on. His voice broke into sobs and he ran away, leaving his brothers behind.

In the distance, unseen, someone turned back and walked away through the jungle.

* * * * * * * *

Michiru had looked all over the camp but there were no traces of her friends. Only Umino and Molly, still arranging the passengers' belongings, had seen them, or perhaps it would be better said that they had seen Taiki and Yaten coming back from the woods quite somberly. And Yuiichiro, who was chopping wood for the fire, said he and Haruka had heard them talking in the forest, but he wasn't so sure it was them. Resolved to find her friends she decided to check the last potential spot, the doctor's tent.

As she arrived she ran into Ami who was also heading there with some herbs in her hands.

"Ami-san, have you seen Seiya, Taiki or Yaten recently?" Ami shook her head.

"Ara, they seem to be disappeared." Her tone was casual but inside she was starting to worry.

"I'm sorry Michiru-san, I haven't seen them since this morning." She replied.

Then some voices came from inside the tent and Michiru had a flash of hope, but Ami hurried to point out that they weren't in there.

"Michiru-san I don't think anyone of them is in th-..." Michiru was about to enter when she almost bumped into Haruka exiting. Michiru was surprised to see her. The tall blonde was slowly massaging her shoulder.

"Is everything OK?" Michiru asked immediately, having noticed Haruka's pale face in the morning.

"Of course." Haruka replied quickly buttoning up her shirt. "You?"

Michiru blushed, apparently for no reason, and quickly turned away. The concern in the blonde's eyes had taken her by surprise.

Not receiving an answer, Haruka asked again, this time with urgency in her voice.

"Michiru, are you OK?" She had been surprised to see Michiru at the doctor's and wanted to be sure everything was alright.

"Actually not..." She answered. Haruka frowned and Michiru hurried to reassure her she was fine but that she was worried about her friends.

"I see." The blonde relaxed, "Well, actually, I saw them." And she gestured Michiru to follow her.

Ami watched them, waving goodbye, and speechless. She looked at the herbs in her hand and back to the blonde walking away.

"Haruka-san..." Right then doctor Mizuno exited the tent and found her daughter, "Oh Ami-chan have you got the herbs?" She looked at her daughter and then followed her gaze to Haruka leaving with Michiru.

"I see... you've found the herbs but you've lost your patient." She said with an amused smile. "You still need to learn the basics of this job..." She circled her arm round Ami's shoulder, "Non-complying patients can be vicious!" She chuckled.

Haruka made sure to be out of the doctors' sight before halting. "I saw your friends." She reassured Michiru, "Don't worry, they're safe."

Michiru looked at her questioningly and so she continued, "I was in the forest to gather some wood and I saw – actually I heard – them. They were... ehm... arguing quite animatedly." Michiru didn't seem to be reassured by that. "They're brothers, it's standard procedure to argue to solve problems out." She smiled trying to convince Michiru everything was alright.

"Yeah... I know, but... They don't usually argue that much." The aqua-haired woman tried to explain.

"Listen, I saw them returning to the beach. If you can't find them it's possibly because they don't want to be found." Haruka said, touching Michiru's shoulder gently, "Maybe they just want to be alone for a while." Her words made sense but Michiru couldn't relax completely. She had an uncomfortable feeling about it.

"You said you saw them..." Haruka nodded, "Who exactly did you see? The three of them?" Haruka was surprised at that question.

"In the forest, yes. And then I saw Taiki and Yaten walking back to the beach." She saw Michiru's look get even more worried.

"I know you're not too keen about Seiya." Michiru managed to smile briefly, "He's not exactly friendly with you but... I'm worried about him." Haruka smirked, suppressing an unkind remark about the black-haired singer.

"He... look, I don't think he wants to see anyone at the moment." The blonde remembered the scene she had witnessed earlier, "He was walking to the beach anyway. Let him calm down before going to him." Haruka didn't like Seiya, but she was trying to be reasonable for Michiru's sake.

"Alright." Michiru agreed and they headed back to the camp.

"Why were you visiting the doctor, anyway?" Asked Michiru as they approached Setsuna and Hotaru, who were under the shadow of a palm-tree.

"Nothing." Haruka tried to dismiss the subject quickly, but Michiru could be very persistent sometimes.

"Haruka-san..." The violinist scolded, "You do look terrible, you know?"

"Why thank you! You sure know how to make a compliment!" Haruka joked with fake indignation.

"Baka. You know what I meant!" Michiru replied, stressing her words with a punch on Haruka's shoulder.

"Ouch!" Haruka looked at the violinist with surprise and massaged her shoulder, red faced with pain. Michiru turned wide eyed realizing she had just punched Haruka's left – and previously dislocated - shoulder.

"Sorry!" She cried out blushing furiously. Haruka had intended to give Michiru a fake scolding look but she couldn't hold her laughter at the violinist's expression.

After the first shock, Michiru realized Haruka was laughing.

"What's so hilarious? If you want I can punch your shoulder again..." She said, slightly irritated and awkwardly lifting her small fist.

"Oh no no no! Please, I surrender!" Haruka managed to say between laughs.

"So?" Michiru insisted, glaring half serious, half joking.

"Nothing, it's just that you were so cute all blushing and embarrassed..." Haruka's laughter died as she realized what she had just said and then it was her turn to be very, very embarrassed.

Despite the fact that the blonde's word choice hadn't passed unnoticed, Michiru managed to maintain her composure and she even smirked in vengeance at the red tinge on Haruka's cheeks.

They weren't far from Haruka's, Setsuna's and Hotaru's dwelling and when passing by Michiru noticed Haruka's small suitcase, still untouched. A pang of longing ran through her heart and probably through her eyes as well, because Haruka stopped and asked her if she was alright.

"You haven't unpacked..." It was a statement but Haruka felt like she had to justify herself. That feeling, the fact that everything distressing Michiru had become an issue for her made her snap at Michiru rudely.

"Why are you so obsessed with my luggage?!"

And - of course - she immediately regretted it.

The blonde had been so loud that even Setsuna, still engrossed with Tomoe's notes, lifted her head and looked in their direction for a moment.

"Sorry... I'm sorry." Haruka looked at Michiru in sincere apology, "Please forgive me...I...I don't know what..." After the immediate shock Michiru smiled indulgently at the blonde whose pleading eyes seemed to be a bit feverish.

"No, you're right... I'm being intrusive." The violinist realized she was a little touchy on that subject, "It's just that... you know... I have to admit I'm a little envious." She looked at the little black trolley lying on the white sand.

"You haven't found your things, have you?" Haruka asked softly. Michiru shook her head, surprisingly on the verge of tears. She lowered her head in the vain attempt at hiding her eyes behind her aqua locks.

"Hey..." Haruka stepped close to Michiru and gently lifted the smaller woman's chin with her hand, "What's wrong?" Her voice was so soft and warm and her look so deep that Michiru couldn't suppress a sob.

Despite her awkwardness around any display of emotions Haruka found herself enclosing the smaller woman in a comforting embrace, but it seemed to make things worse judging by the trembling of the violinist's shoulders.

The blonde's gesture was as much unexpected as welcomed by Michiru who suddenly felt free to let go all the pent up emotions of the last few days.

After a couple of minutes she felt suddenly conscious of her position and how comfortable she was in the blonde's arms... and that was... weird? _Wrong?_ She couldn't tell – however, she hurried to disentangle herself from the embrace, regretting it a little and brushing the tears from her cheeks.

When Michiru looked up at Haruka she couldn't believe how red her face was. Even her ears seemed to be on fire, and after the initial surprise the blonde turned her head slightly, unable to hold Michiru's gaze.

"I'm sorry, I'm being silly." The aqua-haired woman apologized.

"Emh... don't be! Sorry! I mean don't be sorry." Haruka's ability of speech seemed to have disappeared along with the pallor of her face.

"My suitcase was in the plane's hold, and I didn't find it, but it's not about that." Her lucid eyes got a little darker. "It's stupid, really." She said with a dismissing gesture of her hand, but Haruka wasn't willing to let the subject go and stressed that out putting her hands on Michiru's shoulder and looking her straight in the eye.

"What is it about, then?" The blonde asked.

"In the crew's stash..." She stopped, again feeling a little silly to make such a big deal out of it.

"What was in the stash?" Haruka asked firmly.

"My violin." A flash of sympathy run through Haruka's heart. It had to be painful, for someone who had made a living out of music, not to be able to play. "Oh, I'm bothering you with such silly things, forgive me." Michiru dried her eyes, which were watering again, with a graceful gesture and in a moment she was back to her old composed, detached self.

That cold and contrived demeanor felt odd for Haruka but she could recognize in it some of the Kaioh Michiru she had always seen on TV, concerts or magazines.

The problem was that, by now, Haruka knew that the sophisticated, beautiful lady was just the shiny hard cover, and that underneath laid an incredibly intuitive, playful and caring woman who seemed even more beautiful, with her hair waving in the breeze and her eyes still glistening from tears.

Haruka indulged in those thoughts for a moment before realizing what she was thinking and scolding herself for it. She tried to focus on the current situation and her eyes stopped on her little black suitcase.

"Well, there's not a violin in there, but you can help me unpack, if you want." She knew the excuse was lame, but Michiru seemed to appreciate it and together they unzipped the black leather top cover, even though it was so badly torn that the contents were already poking out.

The zipping noise got Hotaru's attention, and she ran to join them, happy and curious for the little diversion as only a child could be. The little girl's arrival was welcomed by both Haruka and Michiru who always enjoyed her presence, and they also saw the chance of shifting their attention from one another to her.

As they started unpacking it was clear Haruka was letting the other two take the initiative, as they were the most excited about it. She knew what she had hurriedly packed three days ago.

The first thing which even Hotaru noticed was the smallness of that case.

"You weren't planning to stay long, were you?" Michiru's comment had intended to be simple small talk but Haruka stiffened at the question.

"Yeah, just a couple of days." Michiru couldn't help but point out it was a pretty long journey for such a brief stay. That observation had the result of making Haruka taciturn and somber. Michiru took a silent note of that but decided not to try the blonde's temper any further; instead, she kept on checking the clothes to see if they were of any use.

The scant contents consisted of a neatly folded pitch-black suit, an equally neat black dress shirt and a pair of black lace up shoes. Underneath there were some night clothes, a pair of shorts and a matching t-shirt and a pair of running shoes. Those things were all scattered and creased as they had been thrown in hurriedly.

Michiru looked at Haruka for a moment, she hadn't expected to find that in the blonde's case. It was Hotaru though, who questioned the blonde, innocently.

"Haruka-papa do you like black?" Her childish voice was somehow skeptical.

"Not particularly." The car racer answered casually, but when she saw Michiru's eyes lighten up in realization she knew she had made a mistake.

'Of course!' Just then the violinist realized what occasion would require a sudden departure, black clothes and a short stay. She observed the blonde intently and when she crossed her eyes she saw she was definitely troubled. The blonde lowered her eyes immediately and picked up the running shoes and the T-shirt in a desperate attempt to avoiding Michiru's inquiry.

The violinist, though, had known Haruka long enough not to dare mention something like that. Nonetheless she now saw the blonde's sullen mood under a new light.

She stood there looking at the tall woman with sympathetic eyes, wondering how good it could be, for Haruka, to bottle her feelings up the way she did, but couldn't picture her confessing. Not even to her.

"Michiru-mama, are you OK?" Hotaru asked as she noticed Michiru spacing out.

"Sure Hotaru-chan. I'm OK." She said, still looking at Haruka who seemed to sense her piercing eyes on her back, because she turned abruptly.

"Shouldn't you go looking for that bak-..."

"Haruka-papa!" Hotaru scolded her, glaring with her big, purple eyes at the so much taller adult who hurried to correct herself.

"... mmh ...for Seiya?" Looking guiltily at the small child still glaring at her like a strict mother.

If she hadn't been deep in dark thoughts Michiru would have definitely laughed at the scene, but instead she just nodded and after kissing Hotaru on the head, went to find Seiya.

* * * * * * * *

_In the loneliness of the small room the counselor's words re-echoed in his head repeatedly._

_'It will be hard Seiya-san. I should tell it will be worst than hard, it'll be Hell. You have to reach the bottom to begin to resurface, and if you haven't reached the bottom yet, be sure you will do it here. Here you're just a guy, like everyone else, another poor soul who has hurt himself and those who care for him. Here, you'll learn how to be a no one in order to remember who you really are.'_

_He had to remind himself he had chosen on his own accord to be there, that it had been a willing choice. He had to remind himself that nobody knew where he actually was, he needn't to face the shame. Yaten and Taiki thought he was relaxing with some girl on some tropical beach. His manager thought he was in some beauty farm, taking care of his profit-making looks getting rid of some stress, and his fans thought the Threelights were working on a new, amazing album._

_The pangs had started as the counselor had foretold, the horrible pangs in his stomach like his guts were trying to squeeze their way out of his abdomen._

_The pain!_

_The pain was unbelievable, and when it subsided his mind still didn't clear. He could just remember those menacing words..._

_'...and when the pain will be so ferocious, enough to make you curse all gods and your own parents for having allowed you to be born, well, then you will think that nothing of that is actually your fault, that you don't deserve that... so I'll tell you now... It's bullshit. It is your fault. Your. Fucking. Fault._

_I'm telling you this because when the pain will double you have to remember, clearly, that you brought it onto yourself.' At first he had thought that was a lame try to intimidate him, but now he was just realizing that - though lame - it had been successful._

_He was in pain and he was scared. And he was furious too. He wanted to hurt someone, he really wanted to kill... Yes, he wanted to kill someone, anyone that was responsible for all that pain..._

_And then he understood._

_He understood the counselor's words. It was his fault. And understood why he was in an empty room unable to hurt even himself._

_'You'll have to prove yourself you're worth living again...' Those were the very last words the counselor had said before leaving him in his room._

_The pangs in his stomach were intensifying, he was sweating profusely and shivering at the same time. He was entering Hell like the counselor had said._

_'But he's wrong about one thing.' He thought gritting his teeth, 'I'm not a 'no one'...' He fumbled with his shirt and pulled out the only item he had successfully kept from the clinic staff inspection. Something they didn't want him to have._

_But he knew that was his only chance to survive, they couldn't understand, but _hedid_. He couldn't possibly make it without a reminder..._

_"Here you are..." He said out loud, his mind already clouded. "You'll save me, you'll made me again what I was... _who_ I was..." He mumbled crazy words or so the staff would have thought._

_"Here you are..." He started sobbing and his warm tears seemed to wash away any resistance. His entire body surrendered to the pain. His long journey to recovery had begun._

_He slipped to the floor clutching a wrinkled picture in icy cold hands. It showed three happy young men, full of dreams and hope of a brilliant future._

* * * * * * * *

When the night fell on the island a big fire was lit up on the beach. Before the 'official' service Molly had wanted to pay homage to all the dead people, trying to say a couple of words for every one of them, even if it was just their names.

She had spent hours going through all their things, trying to identify jobs, hobbies, families. Anything that could make them feel like they weren't strangers anymore. That they hadn't died alone.

They were all gathered around the fire with the only exception of Jade. Rei's grandfather begun mumbling prayers and although Rei was translating, those words were meaningless for most of them, but at the same time they sounded comforting beyond their literal meaning.

Michiru turned to her right. There stood Seiya, his dark eyes looking directly into the fire. She hadn't been able to talk to him yet. When she had went to see him she had found him sitting alone on the sand shaking his head, and had decided to follow Haruka's advice and leave him alone for the time being.

'Later...' She thought, resolved to offer him her help in any way he needed it.

Then she turned to her left to see Haruka's tall figure. The blonde had been quiet all evening, often massaging her temples. She looked more and more tired and her mood had grown darker and darker with every passing moment.

In the dancing light of the fire, Michiru noticed a metallic flash at Haruka's neck and she recognized the golden cross attached to a thin necklace. She had noticed it the first time she had seen Haruka shirtless when she had hurt her shoulder. It bothered Michiru: the thought of Haruka bending to any will that wasn't her own. Not even God's. So she found herself questioning the blonde, before she could stop herself.

"Isn't it weird for you – such a service?" She was rewarded by a questioning look.

"I told you I've lived in Japan for many years." The blonde answered a bit confused when Michiru pointed to her neck. She reached with her hand and when her fingers came across the necklace she understood.

"Oh, this... I'm not Christian, if it's what you think." She whispered back.

Then continued, "I'm nothing, actually..." She kept twirling the cross between her fingers, "I mean, I'm not religious."

"Why you wear that, then?" Michiru asked curiously.

Haruka remained silent for a moment then answered to Michiru's surprise. "It's a gift... from my grandmother. She gave it to me when I left New York to go live in Japan."

That conversation, much to Haruka's relief, came to an abrupt end when the ceremony demanded their attention and participation.

* * * * * * * *

Half an hour later the airplane on the beach was on fire. The flames, high in the sky, illuminated the camp mercilessly. No one was allowed to stay in the dark that night, not even Seiya who was silently praying to become invisible, to disappear off the face of the Earth. Little did he know the irony in that thought.

He was sitting on a trunk, apart from the main group and staring into the flame, as if to invoke their cleansing power. After a moment he buried his hand in his pants-pocket and extracted a small transparent plastic bag. For several minutes he swirled it slowly through his fingers. He watched it intently, as though it could give him some precious answers, and in some ways, it could. Lots of people had looked for many things inside that packet: reasons, courage, happiness, oblivion or just some fun. He had too, but it had never given him answers. It had just made him forget the questions.

He looked at it for just another moment then tossed it into the flames.

He felt suddenly free. Able to go put his life together and maybe - only maybe - regain his brothers' trust.

* * * * * * * *

That night almost everyone thought about life. How unfair it was, how painful, and yet how hopeful and full of surprises.

The flames kept almost everyone's eyes captivated, but someone was looking at the sky and the stars shining above. Hopeful eyes searched the sky for a sign, something telling them it was alright to hope. Cynical eyes thought how beautiful the stars were, and how pointless it was to enjoy that view when lost in the middle of nowhere and forgotten by the world.

Those two pair of eyes looking at the sky – and only them - noticed a blinking light passing rapidly over their heads...

* * * * * * * *

Furuhata's heart skipped a beat when he recognized the blinking light of an airplane. That night he couldn't sleep, he was too excited at the thought of imminent rescue. What luck! Lighting up that enormous fire, right when an airplane flew over them. It could not pass unnoticed.

* * * * * * * *

Haruka noticed the blinking light, and she let a quick flash of hope pass through her heart. It crossed her soul like a falling star, rapid and not leaving any trace behind.

'Maybe... we're just invisible. Or maybe we're not supposed to be found. After all, this enormous fire can't pass unnoticed...'

* * * * * * * *

The sand creaked under soft steps and Seiya turned to see who it was, before he turned back to the fire.

"Rough day?" A light weight sat next to him, but he didn't move, "Mine too... do you wanna talk about it?" Michiru's slender arms embraced him gently and he laid his head comfortably on her soft chest.

He finally felt free to let the people he loved help him.

End of chapter 5.

Many thanks to my precious, hard-working beta reader, **Calaeris**. :)


	7. I was looking for you

**LOST WITH YOU**

by Doc C_B

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters.

**Rating**: **M** for language, violence, some gore and... to be on the safe side.

**Setting: AU**

Beta read by** Calaeris** (Thanks!)

**CHAPTER 6**

- I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU -

* * * * * * * *

**Tokyo airport, 9.18**

_"Here's your outward ticket, flight 5186, gate 23, 10 AM." The clerk handed the ticket-envelope to the handsome customer._

_"Thank you." The tall blond took the envelope while the young woman began typing on her computer keyboard again; after a moment she looked up with an awkward expression on her pretty face._

_"I'm sorry, Tenoh-san, you've lost the return reservation as well." She said it a little unsurely and as she thought the tall blond was less than happy to hear that. She saw him cursing under his breath and hurried to try and fix the situation. She typed furiously for five more minutes, peeking furtively at the blond's reaction every now and then._

_"This is ridiculous! That moron of a cab driver, he managed to ruin my day... twice!" The tall blonde was furious, the handsome face a mask of annoyance._

_"I'm very sorry... But you'll be able to be in New York with just a couple of hours delay. I'm sure you'll find a ticket for you to come back before the end of next week..."_

_"Next week?!?! I have no intention of spending one damn night more than necessary there!" By now the blonde was yelling at the embarrassed clerk, the husky voice turning into a higher, more feminine pitch._

_The girl behind the desk didn't notice it; rather, she stared at the furious customer, a little intimidated. And it was the fear in her eyes that made Haruka realize she had badly overreacted. She decided to calm her demeanor and try another strategy._

_It wasn't easy to calm down. She felt exhausted and frustrated beyond her limits. After a moment she took a deep breath and smiled apologetically at the clerk._

_"I'm really sorry for my behavior, it obviously isn't your fault Miss...?"_

_"Oh... Ikeda Eriko, Tenoh-sama."_

_"Ikeda-san," Haruka took off her sunglasses and looked at the poor girl intently, her teal eyes deep and charming. "It's unforgivable, treating a beautiful girl like you so rudely. Will you be so kind and forgive me?" Her captivating smile did the rest._

_"Don't even mention it, Tenoh-sama. Let me look into it. Maybe I can find a seat..." The girl smiled back while her cheeks turned a cute shade of pink and typed on her keyboard quickly for a moment._

_Haruka smirked, the spell had been cast and no one could resist._

_"Here you go. New York-Los Angeles-Tokyo, first class, the day after tomorrow." To complete what she considered a masterpiece in the art of seduction, Haruka brushed the clerk's hand briefly as she took her ticket and observed her face turning a deep shade of red and her eyes lowering in embarrassment as she giggled._

_"You saved me, Ikeda-san. From now on consider me your humble servant." She winked and turned as a dreamy look appeared in the clerk's eyes, and it would probably be there all day._

* * * * * * * * *

**In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 69 hours later.**

Dawn tinged the horizon with gold, an insistent breeze rippled the sea's surface and the waves broke on the shore relentlessly. Haruka was walking on the white sand after a long run. Everybody was still sleeping at the camp as the day had still to begin as the night was just about to end.

It had been a sleepless night, the third sleepless night in a row. She had tried to lie down – she felt so tired – and she had even fallen asleep for a few minutes, but soon the nightmares came and she woke up breathless and upset.

Eventually she had found herself running, like she always did when she was troubled. Now she was on a secluded little beach not far from the camp. She had calmed down a bit and was watching the ocean reflect the rising sun's red rays. She was looking forward to the hunting session they had planned for today, hoping it could keep her mind occupied.

The view was enchanting, even more than the one at the camp and she found herself wanting to share that view... but with whom? She had no one. In the last few days she had thought about it, about what was happening back home. She had imagined the press going crazy about a plane disappearing like that, and then going even crazier because at least five celebrities were missing. But that was it. She was famous and there were probably hundreds of strangers worried about her... strangers, people she had never met. People she didn't know, and who surely didn't know her. People who would probably have forgotten about her by the end of the week.

'Isn't this how you want it?' Her inner voice asked bitterly. 'No attachment, no responsibilities, no burden?'

She shook her head, dismissing those thoughts, and walked back to the camp, her running shoes in her hand and her bare feet touching the cool sand.

Approaching the camp she noticed someone else was awake and judging by his fidgety movements and bloodshot but sparkling eyes he had had a sleepless night too and he was very excited.

"Good morning Haruka-san." He beamed.

"Good morning Furuhata-kun." She greeted him. Noticing he was hardly able to control his excitement she smiled, amused. "It seems like a very good morning for you. What's happened?" But as she asked she realized what could have caused such effect on him.

'It must be good to be able to have such faith...' She thought. He must have seen the plane flying over the camp last night, like she had. The big difference was that she hadn't thought for longer than a second that could have led to their rescue.

"Yeah, it's going to be a very good morning, I can feel it!" He exclaimed.

"If you say so..." She smiled skeptically but amused at his childish enthusiasm. As she was about to leave he couldn't resist telling her what he thought to be amazing news.

"Haruka-san, you can't imagine what happened last night after the service! It's wonderful!"

Haruka raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

"I saw a plane last night, flying over us! They must have seen our fire. It was huge!" His face was almost glowing from happiness.

'Oh God, he really believe in it.' She thought cynically. She couldn't understand how someone could possibly let themselves have such high expectations, especially when it was up to others than themselves to save the situation.

'Have you ever heard the word 'trust'?' Her inner voice said sarcastically.

"I saw it too, actually," She said trying to ignore her thoughts, "but I don't th-..." He cut her off excited.

"Really? Oh, I can't wait to tell everyone..." This time it was Haruka who interrupted him.

"Wait! Wait Furuhata-kun. Do you really think this is a good idea?" He looked at her confused, "What if the plane hadn't noticed the fire? You don't want all those people to be disappointed now, do you?" The young man looked up at her thinking for a moment.

"But Haruka-san... Kami knows they do need some good news!" His expression darkened at the thought of the tears he had seen the previous night and the heavy silence that had followed.

"You're right, they're sad and scared, but think how they'll be if no one comes." She reasoned, her dark-circled eyes piercing through him. Furuhata kept eye-contact with her until he had to admit first to himself and then to her that she was right.

Seeing Furuhata's face literally change under her eyes Haruka felt guilty. She knew it was cruel to crush his hopes like that and although his attitude was so often opposite of hers she had a soft spot for that young man so full of faith. Something she was completely unable to have.

Her hand went to her neck. She touched the smooth surface of the gold cross and she remembered the conversation she had with Michiru the night before.

_* * * * * * * *_

_"What is this?" Haruka demanded eying the small wooden box with suspicion._

_"Open it, it doesn't bite." The gray-haired woman smiled and her wrinkled face lightened up. The serious looking, fifteen-years-old, blonde lifted the box's lid slowly. Inside there was a thin golden necklace with a smooth cross attached to it. She examined the item for a minute then lifted her head and looked at her grandmother questioningly._

_"Did you really think you could come here and not say good-bye to your granny?" The old woman smiled knowingly to her surprised granddaughter._

_"But Granny I-..." The teal-eyed woman cut her off._

_"Oh, come on Haruka! I know what you're going to do, and I know it'll be a long time before I can see you again."_

_The blonde girl lowered her look guiltily; she had intended their encounter to be as casual as possible. She had decided not to tell her grandmother that she was about to leave to go live in Tokyo. She had thought her grandmother couldn't bear the thought of losing her only granddaughter right after having lost her daughter no more than a year before. And most of all Haruka hated moments of parting._

_"Granny I..." Again she couldn't finish her sentence, her voice trailed off. The older woman stood up from her armchair and she circled Haruka's shoulders with her thin arm. The girl was already so tall and promised to become even taller than her own father._

_"I'm not saying I won't miss you, sweetheart, but I know you have to do it." Those understanding words didn't quiet the stormy feelings swirling inside Haruka._

_"You really do?" The unsure tone was so unusual for the confident girl that she suddenly looked like what she really was: a kid needing reassurance._

_"Of course I do, Dashy." She smiled, "I still can't understand why you have to go that far... but I'm sure you have your reasons." The woman concluded squeezing her granddaughter's shoulders._

_"Now, are you going to accept my little present or not?"_

_"Ehm... Granny, you know I... I don't... ehm... I don't believe..." Haruka mumbled in embarrassment. Her grandmother's faith had always made her feel weird. She had never been able to understand such things, but she loved her grandmother very much and had always indulged her. But in the last year things had changed a lot and Haruka was finding it harder and harder to come to terms with things like God and __fairness__._

_"Haruka, honey, God had chosen a pretty rough path for you, and although I'm sure He has done so because He knows you can do it, I also know for sure that one day you _will_ need some faith." As Haruka tried to protest the old woman put a finger on her lips and continued, "I know, I know... See, I don't care if it'll be God, Destiny or even another human being, you just have to rely on something." She smiled kindly at the girl, her teal eyes a little watery, "No-one can be self-sufficient forever. No one, not even you."_

_"I don't need anybody." Haruka declared stubbornly, looking her grandmother with the same teal eyes._

* * * * * * * *

Heavy panting could be heard as a she jumped up into a sitting position.

Turning to both sides Rei made sure her grandfather and Yuiichiro were still asleep. Relieved by the fact that she wouldn't have to give any explanations the young miko concentrated on her dream.

The suffocating sensation of cold bars against her chest was still vivid and she shivered.

In her dream she was – all of them were – locked in a wide cage. While everyone cried in terror behind her, she had managed to reach the railings and was pulling and pushing in a desperate but futile attempt to break through and escape. Behind her, a dreadful roar was getting closer as cries of pain and horror mixed with disturbing noises of ripping and tearing.

Since she was a teenager Rei had learnt those dreams were much more than mere nightmares; the spirits sent her messages. She had been chosen to preserve Good against Evil. She was blessed with a Gift.

Right now, though, her 'gift' had made it impossible for her to have a good night's sleep, ever since the week before. And now they were more vivid and intense. There was something terrible on that island and its evil nature was becoming harder and harder to ignore.

She had heard the account about what happened at the cockpit and she couldn't deny it had upset her greatly as so many details reminded her of her visions.

Somberly she got up, careful not to wake her two companions. She really needed to regain her calmness so she looked for a secluded space to meditate before the rest of the camp rose.

On her way there she surprisingly met someone. It was Furuhata, whose usually cheerful greeting was somehow discouraged. He had stopped for a moment like he wanted to say something to her, but then he had lowered his eyes and murmured a brief 'good morning' before he quickly walked off.

And just when she was going to dismiss the odd encounter she saw someone else in the distance. At first she couldn't figure who it was; she just saw as he or she ran into the water and swam frantically through the waves.

Rei hurried to the shore; the breeze was getting stronger and the waves slightly bigger but it was the current she was worried about, it was strong and unpredictable, and they had seen debris pulled off the coast in just a couple of minutes.

Once she reached the shore, Rei started calling for whoever was that swam between the white-crested waves. Suddenly the person stopped and turned around then dived to reemerge after a moment, only to dive again and again. It was clear they were looking for something... or someone.

After a moment Rei was joined by Furuhata, who had been drawn by her cries. He explained to Rei that it had to be Haruka out there, because he had just talked to her. Before she could say anything he took off his shoes and jumped among the waves.

Rei watched him reach the frantically searching Haruka and join her in her search after a little exchange. Several minutes passed during which she saw them dive again and again until they stopped and after what seemed an animated discussion they headed back to the shore.

Once they were back Rei helped them out of the water. Haruka seemed exhausted and was very agitated. She kept telling them she had seen someone drowning, someone looking like Serena, the pigtailed American girl, but Furuhata hadn't seen anyone, not from the shore nor when in the water, but he also said that the current was too strong to even think about going out again.

At that point Rei was confused, she had passed by Serena a few minutes ago and she seemed to be soundly asleep in her handsome boyfriend's arms.

But Haruka insisted she had seen the pigtailed girl floating, and she even struggled to get back into the sea. Rei looked at her and noticed her feverish eyes and she shivered as a familiar sensation of fear ran through her, remembering her dreams.

For several minutes they kept scanning the waves to be sure no one was there. Haruka couldn't wipe the image of the pigtailed girl floating helplessly in the water off her mind. When she had ran into the sea she had been so sure of what she had seen, but now, panting to regain her breath, drenched and dizzy, it all seemed blurred in her mind. She shook her head and massaged her hurting shoulder – what was happening to her?

"Haruka-san, are you alright?" Rei asked, watching the older woman intently as she seemed to come out of a dazed state.

"Yes... yes, of course." But the miko wasn't at convinced. The blonde was pale, like a ghost, her eyes were blood-shot, and she had started to shiver badly.

"Come on, Haruka-san, you need to take those wet clothes off... you too, Furuhata-san." She gestured for them to get up and follow her to the camp.

They walked in silence at first on the beach then through a little group of trees and bushes. Haruka was cold, her wet T-shirt stuck against her thin frame, her arms tightened around her torso to defend herself from the chilly breeze. When they reemerged from the small wood at the West end of the camp Haruka blinked at the sun, now high on the horizon. In that moment she caught a glimpse of a dark clothed figure at the edge of the forest; at first she didn't pay any attention to it, then she realized she couldn't recognize him, but when she looked again no one was there.

She stopped abruptly, trying to browse along the tree line with her eyes, with the result that Furuhata bumped into her.

"Haruka-san, is something wrong?" But she didn't answer.

* * * * * * * *

_"Haruka!" Her name yelled like that was bad news especially because her father wasn't supposed to be home yet. Usually he hung out at the Country Club after work until seven when he came home for dinner. Since her mother died almost a year before he seemed to stay at home less and less. But today he was home at five o' clock in the afternoon._

_"Haruka, damn it, come down!" She was upstairs in her room doing her homework after track training but she heard him loud and clear. She was wondering what could have made him so angry at her when a timid knock on the door caught her attention._

_"Miss Tenoh, your father wants to see you downstairs." The thin voice from behind her room's door was the housemaid's and judging by the tremble in it her father had to be really pissed._

_"I'm coming Miss Grossman, thank you." She closed her algebra book and got up._

_'What have I done now?' Sure, she had never been what they call 'an angelic child', but in the last month she hadn't been in any trouble in class nor at the track, and her grades were good as always - with the exception of English, maybe - so she couldn't understand what was with her father._

_But then, as she descended the big marble main stairs she saw the disgusted look in her father's dark eyes and a hint of what happened... and she gulped in fear._

_'No... please no!' There was only one thing that could bring such an expression on his face. She had seen it many times, whenever some 'fag' or 'dyke' was implied... 'Please...' Her inner prayer became feebler and feebler as she descended the elegant steps._

_Her father's eyes were burning in barely restrained fury. He stood in the big foyer with his tailored dark suit and his briefcase at his feet._

_He looked menacing – he was taller than the average Japanese man and fairly well-built, but what made him even scarier was the expression on his face and the icy cold tone of his baritone voice._

_"Henry Ryan came to my office today." His gaze was piercing a hole straight through her._

_'No...' The worst had happened. The _one thing_ she had so scrupulously tried to hide from him had been disclosed and now she couldn't even imagine what could happen._

_He didn't wait for her reaction; he wasn't expecting one anyway. "He told me you've done something to his daughter-..." At his words Haruka couldn't hold herself back. She had done plenty of things she was sure her father wouldn't be happy about, but she had never – _ever - _done anything bad to Isabel Ryan. She couldn't have, no sir... she loved Isabel._

_"Father, I di-..."_

_"Don't you dare interrupt me, girl!" He snapped._

_Haruka knew better than disobey so she descended the last two steps silently and stood in front of him with her hands buried in her pockets and her head bowed down. When he spoke again his voice was low but his tone was even scarier._

_"He said that you seduced her and took advantage of her." He paused and his eyes pierced through her more intensely. "Is that true?"_

_The answer was simple, 'Of course not!' She hadn't taken advantage of Isabel. Yes, she had seduced her and she had also been seduced by her. But neither one took advantage of the other._

_Of course that wasn't the kind of answer her father expected or wanted to hear._

_"I asked you a question." He wasn't renowned for his patience – in that they were so similar, her mother used to tell her that all the time – and now it seemed about to fade some time very soon._

_"I..." She couldn't answer... couldn't. Her mother had taught her always to be true to herself, but she had also told her there were some things her father wasn't able to understand. Things it'd be better if he didn't know..._

_She was still thinking about the right answer to give him when the slap came. Unexpected, painful, shocking. She stumbled and fell back at the foot of the stairs._

_"I want you out of this house in one week." He hissed, "Tomorrow you'll choose a boarding-school. I don't care which one or where. I don't want people to say my daughter doesn't have an education. But you'll be out of here." The cold rage in his voice felt like a blade cutting through her; it hurt more than her throbbing face. He had never hit her before. "Till then you're not allowed to see that girl again."_

_She was petrified, not by fear but because of the implications of what he had just said. When she realized he wasn't going to say anything else she stood. Her head was spinning and crimson blood dripped from her nose to stain her shirt. As she got on her feet he remained there staring at her._

_"You're disgusting!" He spat. But she didn't bow her head in shame at his words, no... she held his gaze proudly, her eyes as cold as his, maybe even colder. She didn't say anything, for once she held back her temper, but inwardly she swore from then on he would be as dead to her._

* * * * * * * *

'Subject A has to be put in the cage for five days before putting in the baits to see if it feeds on the local fauna or if it starves. The cage has to contain means of sustenance for the baits as well, in order to offer a fair competition for life. They have to be capable of representing a challenge to test the subject's strength and abilities...'

'Why had he highlighted this passage? And why these numbers?' Setsuna thought as she re-read the page in Dr. Tomoe's notes for the umpteenth time. She had managed to decipher a good portion of those notes. She wasn't a geneticist nor a biologist but she was a scientist nonetheless and the main part was somewhat intelligible to her, although those numbers...

'04... 16... and 04... 21... what's their meaning? And there's even an exclamation point near the 21...' She gave a moan of frustration, immediately looking around to see if Hotaru was still asleep.

'Maybe it's a code and there's no way to decipher it... or maybe it's just some kind of numerical cataloging.' She reasoned.

The sun was rising and soon the daily life of the little community would begin. She stared for a moment at Haruka's empty pallet and wondered how long the blonde could go without any sleep before falling apart. Right then she heard soft noises and turned around to see a dripping wet Haruka approaching slowly. She could see the blonde shivering because of the cold breeze.

"What's hap-...?"

"Nothing!" The trembling car-racer cut off the inquiry rudely.

"Ok..." Setsuna stood in silence, picked up a pair of jeans and a shirt from a pile of clothes and handed them to the trembling blonde who mumbled a 'thank you'.

Haruka wore the dry clothes and sat down without a single word. Setsuna realized immediately that wasn't one of Haruka usual bad moods, it sounded... _and looked_ different. Worse.

* * * * * * * *

An hour later Setsuna went to take out something to eat and some of their scant water rations. As she passed by the still silent Haruka she stopped to think for a moment.

"Haruka, can you come with me... please?"

Haruka didn't answer, she just turned and her eyes went to Hotaru's sleeping form before she looked back at Setsuna. The tanned woman smiled softly.

"She'll be okay."

As they were approaching the doctor's tent, Setsuna had to make up an excuse to justify her request. Truth was, she was awfully concerned for the blonde ever since she had seen her come back at dawn drenched, trembling and stubbornly silent.

"I checked Dr. Tomoe's notes." She stated and saw Haruka's bloodshot eyes lighten with curiosity. "It looks like he was a geneticist and he was working on a project about some animal DNA manipulation..." Haruka looked at her confused, "But... there were some notes about some previously reserved plane tickets for him and Hotaru... I know you don't think it's important but I have a feeling something's wrong. For instance, why haven't they come to rescue us yet?" She said calmly.

To Setsuna's surprise, her words elicited a reaction. Haruka stopped wide eyed in her tracks for a moment, then resumed her walk.

"What's your point?" The blonde asked with a tinge of defensiveness in her husky voice.

Haruka realized Setsuna was trying to make some sort of sense of their desperate situation, but she knew it was just an elaborate delusion of a rational, sharp mind. She couldn't know they were just lost. There was no mystery, just an unfortunate coincidence. The pilot had told her with his own last breath.

'But do you want to believe she's right. Admit it!' Her annoying conscience was back and she couldn't restrain a grunt of frustration that made Setsuna raise her brows. 'Oh, you want to believe so much. You want to be like Furuhata... You need it. You need a purpose. You need hope.'

"Well... I don't have much to do all day. I can enjoy reading about convoluted plane reservations and bears' DNA." Setsuna smiled. "You didn't answer my question by the way – what do you think is keeping them from rescuing us?"

"I... I don't know... maybe they're going to come." She mumbled, lacking confidence in her own reply.

Setsuna smiled mysteriously, "Haruka-san, I didn't think you were one to have such faith."

Haruka looked at her intently, in the vain attempt to discover what the woman actually knew. Her garnet eyes didn't reveal anything; rather, they almost seemed to mock Haruka's attempt at something she could never accomplish. Eventually they reached their destination and Haruka had to lower her gaze, somehow defeated.

Dr. Mizuno greeted them kindly as ever, smiling as she sorted out the useful stuff recovered from the plane.

"Good morning Meioh-san, Haruka-san..." She bowed, glancing sideways at Haruka, who was paler than ever and looked sick.

"Please help yourself." She said theatrically as she escorted them to the back of the tent, opening the thermal-box. She knew why they had come.

"So that's it then..." Setsuna laconically commented. The blue-haired doctor nodded, sighing in resignation as she took one bottle and handed it to the tanned woman. They were running out of water, quickly.

As the little exchange went on Haruka was staring at the tree line behind the tent. Something seemed to have caught her attention. Setsuna and the doctor followed her gaze curiously but they didn't see anything, so they went back to their conversation only to realize Haruka was walking away without a word.

They kept watching her surprised as her steps turned into a slight run. Just then they were joined by Ami who had just passed by Haruka, who hadn't even acknowledged her presence.

Mother and daughter exchanged a concerned look then the doctor turned to Setsuna worried.

"Did she get any sleep?" She asked the tanned woman.

Setsuna shook her head as they watched Haruka disappear through the first rows of trees.

* * * * * * * *

When Haruka caught a glimpse of the dark-clothed figure standing in the distance she locked her eyes on it so as not to let it disappear like it had earlier. The others were talking about the water supply but she wasn't listening anymore. The figure staring at her from the tree line seemed to be a man and he didn't look like any of the survivors. Was there was someone else on the island? Were Setsuna's suspicions about something mysterious true?

She decided it was time to clear things up, so she left her companions and walked over to the mysterious figure. When he turned to enter into the woods she broke into a run. In mere seconds she stood where he had been, at the edge of the forest. She turned around anxiously; he seemed to have disappeared until she caught a glimpse of his dark suit in the distance. Haruka ran, going deeper into the forest, trying to catch him.

"Wait!" She yelled but he didn't stop and he didn't turn around either.

Haruka ran and ran and although the mysterious man was just walking he seemed always to be out of reach.

"Wait!" She yelled again and doubled her efforts in order to catch him.

She was panting already, her lungs hurting, but she wasn't any closer. Her body was protesting vigorously but she had no intention of giving up.

"Wait, damn it!" She kept yelling, not even paying attention to where she was heading, and soon she lost track of her whereabouts.

Truth was she didn't care. Right now the only thing that mattered was reaching that man who was stubbornly eluding her.

It didn't matter how fast she ran, or how loud she yelled, he was always ahead...

Suddenly she had to stop. It was so abrupt that she stumbled. Struggling to catch her breath she steadied herself against a trunk shaking her head.

"I'm going crazy..." She murmured between heavy pants, her eyes wide in shock because there, a dozen feet away, stood her father.

* * * * * * * *

Another hunting trip had to take place that morning, although this time Rei's grandfather – Grandpa, as everyone now called him – had suggested placing traps rather than chasing animals into the dangerous forest.

Some had volunteered to go place them with the old man, and they had opted for a small group consisting of Yuiichiro, Seiya and Haruka. Seiya had particularly insisted on going. He didn't want people to think he was afraid after his little misadventure, especially Haruka. Also - Michiru thought - he wanted to keep himself occupied, rather than moping about what had happened with his brothers only yesterday.

At first, the violinist had protested but he had insisted and she had to give up eventually. Although they had spent most of the night talking about very serious matters he was now his usual confident self. He was more than happy Michiru hadn't rejected him after his painful confession. Instead she had reassured him about her support and now he felt like they were closer than ever.

He greeted everyone with his charming smile as he approached the others with Michiru's arm under his. He even winked at Mina who seemed to appreciate the attention. On the contrary to that, meeting his brothers had been awkward and tense. And although Seiya didn't appear to be bothered by it, Michiru thought it was just an act.

Taiki's countenance showed embarrassment and regret but he didn't attempt to talk with his black-haired brother. Yaten, on the other hand, was clearly angry and hostile, not only toward Seiya but even towards Michiru.

She was sorry about that but she couldn't completely blame him. He had been betrayed by his beloved brother and they need time to rebuild trust among themselves.

In a few minutes they were ready to go, except for Haruka who was nowhere to be seen.

Michiru was slightly worried; that wasn't like Haruka. She was simply too proud to neglect a commitment, especially one of that kind. As they waited Michiru caught an odd exchange of looks between Rei and Furuhata. She frowned even more as she saw the miko avoid direct eye contact with her.

After a moment the raven haired girl stepped forward and announced Haruka wasn't going to be there. As murmurs spread around the group Furuhata intervened explaining he had given her a special task in helping him with radio devices. He had thought Haruka would appreciate his covering up and the thankful look he received from Rei told him she was thinking the same.

He and Rei had exchanged brief opinions about the early morning happenings and they both thought Haruka had looked a little out of it.

Everyone seemed to buy Furuhata's explanation except Michiru, who was approaching Rei with a grave expression on her face. She stopped as she heard her name called and felt her arm grabbed from behind.

"You're not saying good-bye and good-luck?" Seiya smiling face took her by surprise and she hesitated for a moment trying to refocus on him for the moment.

"I was actually." She smiled back teasingly, "I was going give a good-luck kiss to Grandpa."

"That hurt!" He said, bringing his hands at his heart in fake pain, and then he laughed.

He stopped laughing as she touched his shoulder gently, "Take care."

She gasped in surprise as he embraced her tightly, but after a moment she got accustomed to his touch and hugged him back.

A moment before letting her go he whispered a 'thank you' in her ear, and she knew it wasn't for the good-luck, but for being his friend, no matter what.

* * * * * * * *

_"Moshi moshi?"_

_"Hello, I'm looking for Haruka Tenoh?" Asked a female voice, in English._

_"This is Tenoh Haruka speaking, who are you?" It took a moment for Haruka to register the correct language and answer accordingly. It was 3.30 AM and she had been sleeping soundly after a hard day of practice at the race track._

_"Haruka..." The voice at the other end hesitated for a moment. "Haruka, it's Isabel. Isabel Ryan."_

_Now it was Haruka's turn to remain silent. Isabel? What did she want after all those years?_

_"Haruka? Are you there?"_

_"Yes, I'm here." Haruka regained her composure and cleared her throat._

_"I... ehm... it's been a while, uh?" Isabel's voice was so unsure and awkward that Haruka could envision her pacing nervously around the room._

_"Twelve years." The race-car driver answered automatically._

_"Yeah..." She paused again, "I watch your races all the time..." Isabel's voice changed from anxious to soft. For a brief moment Haruka enjoyed that but then she got suspicious. What did she want? There was something going on._

_"Cut the crap, Izzy. What do you want?" Haruka was now fully awake._

_"Haruka..." Again Isabel's voice trailed off._

_"Come on, Isabel, I'm sure you didn't call me in the middle of the night just to catch up after twelve years." This started to get annoying._

_"I...I'm sorry."_

_"It's a bit late for that." Haruka answered bitterly._

_"I know..." She paused but before Haruka could protest she gathered her courage and continued. "I know, but I have something to tell you."_

_Haruka sit up in bed at the serious tone. "I'm listening."_

_"I think of you all the time, you know? I... didn't want a lawyer to do it and since your grandmother died, I... I thought I had to tell you."_

_Haruka was confused, "Isabel...?"_

_"It's about your father." Isabel hurried to explain._

_"I don't wanna hear it." Haruka's tone turned icy in a split second._

_"Haruka... please."_

_"I'm serious. I don't care, whatever it is, I don't give a damn." Haruka was resolved to put an end to that conversation. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to work tomorrow."_

_"He's dead, Haruka."_

_There was a pause, no one spoke._

_"I see. Well, thank you for calling. Bye." Haruka's voice was emotionless, and that made run a shiver down Isabel's spine._

_"Haruka... please..."_

_"Please what?" Anger was mounting in her and it was starting to show in her voice._

_"He... he was your father..." Isabel felt her heart clench. She knew Haruka. She knew she wasn't a cold person. They had been the best of friends and then, well, _lovers_. She had seen Haruka lose so many things, so many people. First her mother, then her father who pulled away from her, then she herself had rejected and abandoned Haruka to her destiny, in a moment of weakness. Eventually her friend had even lost her beloved grandmother._

_She knew how it worked, and apparently it hadn't changed all those years. The more Haruka hurt, the colder she behaved._

_"I know you two had..."_

_"I told you, I don't care. Now, thank you again." The blonde said, but she didn't hang up, like Isabel had expected so she continued._

_"It was a heart attack, this morning..."_

_"I told you I don't care!" Haruka yelled, eventually unable to restrain her anger and frustration._

_"The funeral is-..."_

_"I'm not going to his funeral!" The blonde hissed._

_"..is the day after tomorrow, you could be here in time-..."_

_"I said I'm not going!"_

_"...if you'd take a flight tomorrow morning." Isabel concluded ignoring Haruka's stubborn protests._

_"I won't come to his damn funeral! He can rot in Hell for what I care." She said again but now her voice was reduced to a whisper._

_"Don't do this to yourself, Haruka..." Isabel was almost pleading, "...you don't deserve it. Please, come to his funeral or it will never end..." Haruka didn't say anything. She didn't protest, she didn't yelled, but Isabel could hear heavy breathing at the other end of the phone._

_"I'm sorry, Haruka." Isabel concluded not knowing what else to say, then she hung up realizing there was nothing else to be said._

_Haruka sat on her bed, clenching the telephone so hard that her knuckles turned white. Finally she stood and threw the phone against the wall on the other side of the room._

_"I'm not going to his damn funeral!" She murmured into the silence, "I'm not going!" Her voice increasing in volume, "Do you hear me?! I WON'T COME TO YOUR FUCKING FUNERAL!!!" She shouted to the dark room._

_For several minutes she stood in silence, her eyes, becoming accustomed to the dark, could make out her own image in the mirror. Tousled hair, burning eyes, tense expression. She had to avert her eyes from herself, she hated the effect he still had on her after so many years._

_'Why, you son of a bitch?' Her bare feet moved slowly on the warm, wooden floor. Two steps, three, four then she bent to pick up the white receiver and she brought it to her ear. It was surprisingly still working._

_She dialed and after a couple of rings a polite, young male voice answered._

_"Hello, I need to book a ticket to New York... Yes, early in the morning, as soon as possible... First class, thank you... Tenoh Haruka... yes... that too, yeah, as soon as possible. The day after tomorrow? Perfect. Yes, yes, on the 18__th__ is perfect. Thank you."_

x

* * * * * * * *

She was panting heavily and her head was spinning from the run. The light filtering through the thick foliage was scarce, and fooling.

"It can't be..." Shaking her head only worsened the spinning, but the dark figure before her eyes didn't disappear. She blinked, in a childish attempt to break the spell and let reality assert itself again. Nothing changed. The man was still there, out of reach but close enough to make out his features. Cold dark eyes fixed on hers, receding pitch black hair neatly combed and a handsome clean-shaved face that seemed to be carved out of marble.

Haruka gave up and slumped against a tree, staring at her father as her head throbbed painfully.

"What are you doing here?" She murmured in defeat. He didn't answer and then, after a moment he turned and walked away again.

"Wait!" The blonde yelled, but was ignored. With a tired grunt of frustration she stood and resumed her chase.

She couldn't tell if it was he who had sped up or she who was slowing down; anyway he seemed further and further away until she lost his tracks in the thick vegetation. She panicked, turning around in a frenzy trying to catch a glimpse of him, but she couldn't.

Her head ached fiercely and she had to close her eyes for a moment, but then she was assaulted by anxiety. She had to find him!

Haruka started to run randomly, and unable to think straight she delved into the depths of the forest, not caring for the danger.

After half an hour of running through thorny bushes and jutting roots she was exhausted. Her lungs hurt, her shirt was ripped and stained, her legs trembling from exertion and her head throbbed in dull pain. She collapsed against a tree and slumped down on the ground... and that was where Grandpa found her a little later.

The old man approached and squatted down even though it wasn't necessary considering how short he was.

"Good morning Haruka-san." He greeted her cheerfully.

Such a cheerful tone could have sounded mocking considering the state she was in but she didn't realize it. Instead she turned to him slowly, starting to think her mind was playing tricks on her. She stared at him for a moment, not sure what she was supposed to do.

It was bad enough to have delusions, but to actually talk to them...?

As he held her look his smile never faltered and no matter how many times she blinked, he didn't disappear. Eventually she thought he had to be real and greeted him.

"Good morning, Grandpa."

When she talked his smile broadened and he fumbled with his rucksack until he took out two bananas and offered her one along with a small bottle of water.

As they ate the fruit they stayed in complete silence and when she finished she had calmed down enough to remember about the hunt they had planned the day before.

"I was supposed to be with you, wasn't I?" She asked. He chuckled softly.

"Oh no, Tenoh-san, I'm sure you're right where you should be."

The blonde looked at him frowning, not sure if it was a joke.

"Actually I don't exactly know where I am..." She said tiredly.

"That doesn't matter... yet." His answers were enigmatic and confusing. They made her feel frustrated and she started to think he was as annoying as Setsuna.

"Did you hear that?" He exclaimed whispering.

"No, I didn't hear anything..." She answered honestly, "What was it?" She was curious.

"Wait..." He signaled her to stay silent and turned, looking around, but after a moment he made a dismissive gesture and turned to her smiling knowingly.

"Boars?" She asked worried, as she stood, but the old man shook his head and smiled amused.

"Ghosts." He whispered.

Haruka's eyes opened wide, how could he know? She looked at him questioningly but he just kept smiling to her frustration.

"Their voices, can you hear them?" He asked, suddenly serious, "...or maybe you can _see_ them."

Haruka couldn't answer. It seemed all too crazy. She knew she had seen her dead father but she wasn't ready to admit it to a stranger, she wasn't ready to admit she had gone completely nuts.

"Everyone has their own ghosts who haunt them. Wouldn't it be great to be the chaser for once, and not the one running away?" The old man said, standing up and tossing the rucksack onto his shoulder.

"Where are we going?" Haruka asked, a little shaken by his words.

He looked up at her and smiled again, "I'm going to place these traps," he said, "You might want to keep on searching for what you were looking for." He walked away waving his hand, leaving Haruka even more confused as she considered she didn't know where she was or where to go.

* * * * * * * *

"Isn't it supposed to rain a lot on these islands?" Yaten complained, sitting under a palm tree to take shelter from the hot sun.

The water rationing was starting to get to the survivors; almost everyone was trying to reduce their intake of water to a minimum.

"Actually it's supposed to rain only during the rainy season." Umino said gaining a nod of approval from Ami. "It should start any moment, fortunately."

"Well, I hope so..." said Mina, "... I think I'm starting to dry off." She touched her now tanned skin, sighing.

As everyone talked Lita was looking in the distance, where Jade lay – as always – under the tent he had built with debris and some towels. He was reading next to his infamous suitcase. The one full of things stolen from the wreckage and that he – it was clear – had no intention to share. He and Lita were openly at war. They eyed each other menacingly every time their eyes met and the tension between them was palpable.

Something was bothering Lita for hours now. Jade never helped, never shared, but most importantly never... complained.

He had tried to steal some food only yesterday, but he had never tried for the water, and that was _strange_. She decided to think about a way to find out if he had stashed some water as she continued to try and open some coconuts they had harvested, hoping they could drink the water inside.

Not far from there Hotaru was scribbling something on a crumpled exercise book, and Ami was peeking over the girl's shoulder every now and then patting her back in approval. A bored Serena looked at Hotaru's book with curiosity.

"What are you doing, little one?" She asked, leaning down and obscuring the light of the sun. Hotaru lifted her head and stared at the pigtailed girl with a questioning look. Serena smiled, waiting for an answer, and when it didn't come she frowned mumbling something about the notorious Japanese politeness.

As she frowned she heard a giggle and saw Ami trying to stifle a laugh.

"What's so funny?" The pigtailed girl asked irritated by the two Asian girls' behavior.

"Oh, I'm sorry Serena-san... it's just that I don't think she speaks any English yet..." She said, giggling again.

Hotaru continued to stare with a puzzled look on her young face which matched Serena's. The pigtailed girl sweatdropped and blushed obviously embarrassed.

"Oh... sorry... I forgot." Still laughing a little Ami translated Serena's question into Japanese and Hotaru's face lit up as she answered... incomprehensibly.

"She said she's doing homework." Ami translated again.

"What?! I can't believe someone does homework on a deserted island, it's pure masochism!" She exclaimed loudly. Hotaru looked at her, puzzled and suspicious at the horrified tone of the American girl and because of the fact Ami was giggling even louder.

The scene attracted the attention of the others and Darien peeped at Hotaru's page and saw she was practicing her calligraphy.

"You should seize the opportunity to learn Japanese a little..." He said to his fiancée, but when he saw her shocked face and her eyes watering he knew she had not appreciated the suggestion.

"What!?!?! Are you crazy? Studying in a situation like this?!?! I could never do that!"

"You couldn't study if chained to a desk, Serena!" Mina said eliciting a general laugh as Serena whined loudly.

They were all still laughing when a scream silenced them; it came from the shore and it was a woman's voice. They jumped up and ran, Umino ahead of everybody having recognized Molly's voice immediately after spending the last few days constantly in her company.

Only Lita remained behind, as she was sure no one could hear or see her. She picked one of her knives and headed up to Jade's tent. The older man lay comfortable, reading, and apparently oblivious of what had just happened. With the blade secured in her belt behind her back the brunette stopped, standing in the entrance, and was greeted by a rough voice.

"What do you want?" He said not even looking at her.

"The water." She answered curtly.

"What water?" He asked, this time glancing at her above the rim of the page.

"You know perfectly well what water!" She exclaimed, already losing her patience.

"You're raving, girl!" He replied and returned to his book.

Lita was determined to find out where he kept the water, because she was absolutely sure he had some somewhere.

"Oh really? If I'm raving, you wouldn't mind me looking around, would you?" She said stepping in and heading to some big suitcases neatly stashed behind him, but as she was about to open the first one he stood abruptly and grabbed her hand, twisting it painfully.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing, girl?" He hissed, his eyes narrowing menacingly.

"Just taking a look," She said gritting her teeth. When she tried to free her hand, he tightened his grip and twisted it more, cruelly. She yelped, this time unable to hide her pain. He looked her straight in her watering eyes and she saw a flash of pleasure in seeing her agony. Instinctively she reached for the knife in her belt and brought it to his face – he was taken by surprise and immediately let go of her hand.

"Bitch!" He hissed, "Don't provoke me, it isn't wise." After the initial moment of surprise he looked her straight in the eye and he was so confident you'd think he was the one wielding the knife. Their faces were mere inches away and beads of sweat were forming on Lita's brow.

"Lita-san, are you OK?" The voice coming from behind broke the spell and she turned, lowering the knife.

Michiru and Setsuna stood right in front of the tent, with worried looks on their faces.

"She's OK, only being annoying." Jade said. Lita glared at him, her green eyes turning into slits.

"He stashed water somewhere." She accused him bluntly. Michiru and Setsuna exchanged a look then Michiru tried to reason with the brunette still holding the knife.

"Lita-san, doctor Mizuno would have told us if there was water missing." She said eying the blade worriedly.

"He could have stolen it before, from the wreck." The taller girl continued stubbornly.

"We can't be sure of that..." Michiru wasn't trying to protect Jade, she didn't like him, but most of all, he scared her. And because of that she didn't want him to be angry or near any sort of weapon, even though it was in someone else's hand.

"Come on Lita-san, it's not worth it." Setsuna said calmly. Her garnet eyes pierced through Lita and worked better than any reasonable words. The brunette put the knife in her belt and glared at Jade for the last time then followed the other two women back to the others.

"Next time you want something from me, little girl, you can offer me a deal. I'm a businessman." He said laughing as they walked away.

* * * * * * * *

In the meantime the group had joined Molly at the shore. She stood with her feet in the water, covering her mouth with her hand as tears ran down her cheeks. In front of her lay a blonde figure, or perhaps better said... half of it.

Umino was trying to pull the pregnant woman off it but she was petrified. One by one the others arrived running and stopped in horror as they saw the corpse. Serena burst into tears and buried her face into Darien's chest, Mina and Rei looked away in disgust just as Yaten did.

In the general confusion Dr. Mizuno's voice brought back them all to reality.

"Ami-chan, please help me." She said, "We have to move it-... _her_... away." She looked around and called Taiki, Darien and Umino, instructing them to take the corpse to her tent.

The last one to arrive on the scene was Furuhata. He stopped next to the corpse and gasped, but after the initial shock his expression turned confused. He looked around at the others until his eyes stopped on Serena, his look kept shifting from Serena to the corpse and back until he turned and exchanged a meaningful look with Rei. He saw realization dawn into the miko's dark eyes.

In fact the poor dead girl was blonde and had two pigtails, only a little shorter than Serena's. He realized how easily would be to mistake her for the American girl, especially if floating in the distance. While the other transported the corpse to the doctor's tent Furuhata stayed behind hoping to confer with Rei. As they talked he confessed to her that he had thought Haruka was seeing things that morning – after all she seemed pretty out of it. Rei remained silent but inside she knew she had thought just the same.

To everyone's shock the doctor had insisted on examine the body, or what remained of it. With Ami's help she checked the wounds and tried to establish the cause of death. The others couldn't understand such interest as it was clear she had been devoured by a shark, but the doctor wasn't used to making suppositions and just be satisfied with those; usually she would search for proof and so that was what she did.

With the scanty set of instruments she managed to establish the poor girl wasn't dead when her body was slaughtered and that there wasn't any water in her lungs, so she concluded the girl didn't drown. The most reasonable explanation was that she had died from the injuries to her lower extremities and only after she had ended up in water. That would rule the shark theory out.

Ami came in to help, examining closely the stumps of the body's legs. Neither of them were coroners but they were good enough doctors to perform a decent examination.

"Look at these wounds, Mom." She pointed to some circular wounds, approximately the diameter of a finger and quite deep. Her mother examined them and turned to Ami with a questioning expression. The short haired girl explained, "They're round and deep and – as expected – distributed in a semi-circle row." She pointed to the arc of wounds, "But... sharks, you know, have teeth with a razor shape and should give wounds more like a knife's, not a icebreaker or a screwdriver. Besides they have several rows of teeth."

"OK, that confirms it wasn't a shark... What was it then?" She asked trusting deeply in her daughter's competence and intuition.

"Well, something which bit with great strength, so I think it was a big animal, but more like a feline or a... bear." The younger woman stated. "It's plausible considering she didn't die in the water."

"Ami-chan, you're telling me some animal on this very island did _that_ to the poor girl?!?" The blue-haired woman exclaimed, scared.

"Think about it, mom, think about what they told us about the cockpit..." Unfortunately Kimiko Mizuno already knew that Ami's speculation was not just reasonable, but very likely. Her daughter was a genius, she was rarely wrong... A shiver ran down Kimiko's spine.

"Wait!" Ami exclaimed, her face lightening up with intuition. She examined the body's hands, taking particular attention at the nails.

"Of course! Look! There's sand under her nails, it's deep embedded into the flesh!"

"Like she'd been digging in the sand..." Her mother was starting to follow her reasoning, "Like she was trying to drag herself without the support of her legs..." She lightened up with realization and, along with that, horror. "Like clinging to the sand while being pulled by her legs..."

"Until the legs..." Ami's eyes watered at the thought. "...came off."

"Kami-sama Ami, it's horrible!" The doctor murmured, horrified.

After a moment they finally stepped out of the tent for a bit of fresh air. As they exited they found a very anguished Rei and Furuhata waiting.

"Rei-san, Furuhata-san, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?" The doctor asked, worried about the expression on their faces.

Furuhata fidgeted, unable to speak and after a moment Rei intervened.

"Doctor, we would like to know if the girl died drowning." She asked firmly.

The doctor's questioning look prompted her to explain to her their reasons, "See... this morning we think we saw her in the water." She didn't explain the fact that she and Furuhata had prevented Haruka from saving the poor girl, though.

The doctor's expression turned dark at the thought of the girl's presumable death, and Rei misunderstood, thinking the worst. She gasped in guilt, but the doctor realized the misunderstanding and reassured them.

"Rei-san, Furuhata-san, you couldn't have done anything. She was already dead by the time she ended up in the water." Rei and Furuhata exchanged a relieved look, and they immediately thought Haruka deserved to know too.

* * * * * * * *

Her head started to throb again, and again all seemed to turn dim, she had walked in circles for about two hours and was starting to lose hope of ever finding her way back to the camp. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she had a glimpse of a familiar dark figure. This time when she turned her father was there, eluding her no more. She looked at him for a moment, uncertain about whether to follow him or concentrate on getting back to the beach. But when he turned to face her he had such a challenging look in his dark - almost black - eyes that all the rage her battered body was still capable of surfaced and she dashed at him. And again he was one step ahead.

She ran and ran; several times she lost track of him and stopped, looking around feverishly with such momentum that her head span so bad that she lost her balance more than once. Often she tripped and fell on the ground, scratching her hands. Soon she had forgotten about the camp, the plane, about Hotaru and Michiru, even about herself. The only thing she could see, feel, even remember was her anger and the dark suited figure mocking her.

After what had felt a lifetime to her she realized she was getting nearer and nearer until she could almost graze his shoulder.

"Stop, damn it!" She yelled, "Stop, you coward!"

Then it was just instinct to guide her... she jumped on him and fell headlong on the ground losing consciousness.

* * * * * * * *

_CLICK!_

_CLICK!_

_CLICK!_

_The fourth pebble wasn't necessary, the first floor window lit and after a few seconds the dormer slid up._

_"Hey..." Haruka whispered from down in the backyard. She had snuck out of her house in the middle of the night, and had 'borrowed' her father's Jaguar and drove to the big colonial house, leaving the car where no one could see it. Now she was in the dark Ryans' house's backyard._

_"Haruka?!" A surprised, sleepy voice asked from inside the window. "What are you doing here?" Isabel whispered._

_"I needed to see you." Was Haruka's simple answer. She was fidgeting in the cold night breeze as it started to rain, some drops already staining her coat._

_"Haruka, if my father sees you, he's gonna kill you!" Her whisper was anxious._

_"Then toss me the rope before he sees me!" The blonde whispered back. Up in her room Isabel was uncertain as to whether to let Haruka up or not. She was already in big trouble, her father was furious and she had been grounded for at least a month, but she hadn't seen Haruka in four days now, not even at school... and no matter how much she tried to deny it even to herself, she missed her, very much._

_"Come on Isabel, I'm freezing!" By now it was raining, almost pouring, and the blonde was already soaked but refused to move. Isabel disappeared in her room for a moment then a thick rope fell from the window until it dangled two feet up the ground. Haruka grabbed it firmly and climbed up to the balcony expertly._

_The brunette girl leant out the windowsill but when Haruka was in front of her she didn't move aside to let her in. She stood there looking her tall girlfriend intently, the blond wet hair plastered on her forehead, a confused look in her teal eyes with dark shadows under them and, the tired expression on that handsome face._

_"Look at you..." She murmured and with a trembling hand she caressed Haruka's cheek where a bruise was turning from red to blue. The blonde was puzzled by her lover's behavior, she stood there, her cheek still cupped by the warm hand, then a shiver shook her and the spell was broken._

_"Hey, how about letting me in? It's not like I'm not enjoying the rain but..." Haruka said smiling, until she noticed Isabel's face didn't match hers._

_"I'm sorry... I can't..." Isabel's hand wouldn't stop caressing her cheek, but her eyes couldn't meet the blonde's._

_"What...!? Isabel, come on, it's cold." Haruka protested, "I need to talk to you, you managed to elude me in school all these days..." She was starting to realize something was wrong. Something more as she was already in trouble up to her ears._

_"I can't let you in, Haruka... not anymore." The resolve Isabel was counting on failed her the moment she looked at Haruka, all soaked with that pleading expression in her eyes._

_"I know. My father 'filled me in'." The blonde said shrugging._

_"He hit you, didn't he?" Isabel said, tracing the bruise with her fingers, very gently. "Are you OK?" She asked, worried._

_"I will be, no need to worry... but..." And now her expression turned even more serious, "he's having me transferred to a boarding school." What Haruka saw passing through Isabel's brown eyes wasn't what she expected. It wasn't sadness or concern, it had rather looked like... _relief?!?_ No... it couldn't be. "But... I'm going to chose one that's close and I'll manage to sneak out to see you, trust me." She said with the usual confidence and a wink that reminded Isabel why she had been helpless to the other girl's charm since she had winked and smiled at her the first time they had met, over a year before. The brunette remained silent for a moment, her heart clenching painfully._

_"He's kicking you out, isn't he?" She asked._

_"No... he just-..."_

_"Haruka." Isabel scolded softly._

_"He's very pissed." Haruka admitted. "He doesn't want to have anything to do with me, but he promised my mother he would take care of my education, so..." Haruka explained with a final shrug._

_"I'm sorry, Haruka. I'm sorry for that... and... a-and I'm sorry because I won't see you again... No!" She stopped the blonde's protest before it could reach her lips. "Haruka, listen to me. I won't see you, I won't call you and you... you won't call me."_

_"Isabel you can't-..."_

_"Of course I can, Haruka, and I will." The brunette faltered for a moment, "Please, don't make it harder..." She pleaded, tears running down her cheeks._

_"No! It's your father talking, not you. You don't want this, I... I... love you!" Suddenly Haruka forgot to whisper and her words pierced Isabel's ear like a shrill._

_She lifted both her hands and cupped Haruka's cheeks again, then leaned forward and kissed her. Haruka's lips were cold while Isabel's were warm and salty from the tears. When she withdrew she saw Haruka's eyes watering too and that made her almost lose it. It took her a moment to gain the courage to speak again._

_"I love you Haruka, you know that, but _this_ is what I want. Maybe you're ready to leave your family behind." She chuckled bitterly, "Your father isn't much of a family anyway, but I can't. He made me choose... and I chose them. I'm sorry." She watched as mixed emotions passed through Haruka's teal eyes in silence. The blonde didn't protest this time, she stared back at Isabel, like a lost child. "I love you, but I have to let you go. I... I don't think I'll ever forget you..." Those last words seemed to have an effect, Haruka's eyes turned icy cold._

_"You will, don't worry." The hoarse tone was sharp and bitter as Haruka turned, climbed down the wall swiftly and walked away in the darkness, indifferent to the rain._

* * * * * * * *

CLICK!

CLICK!

CLICK!

Haruka blinked a couple of times. She didn't know where she was, or how she had ended up on the ground, but she knew it was raining.

'No, wait... If it's raining... why only on my forehead?' She asked herself as she got up as her head protested painfully. She checked her body and it was dry except for her forehead, and yet she could hear the noise... it was water pouring down. She looked around confused and finally saw it. A small waterfall and a little pool. The race-car driver passed a hand on her forehead and brought it to her mouth. It wasn't salty.

'Fresh water!' She beamed. "Fresh water!" She exclaimed out loud though she was alone.

Then she took her time to look around. It was a small glade that ended against a rocky formation. The water spurted out of it and fell from a short height, gathering in a pool in the hollow stone. In front of the spring was a wide cave. Haruka walked into the cave, and there was enough light to see several yards inside because the entrance was tall and wide. An idea sneaked into her mind – that could be a very comfortable place to settle a camp, with fresh water and shelter from the sun and the wind.

She was thrilled. She walked to the spring, dipped her hands into the cool water and drunk eagerly.

* * * * * * * *

"Michiru-chan? Michiru-chan!..." Seiya called for the second time but she didn't answer, so he sat down beside her on the big trunk and gently touched her shoulder. The aqua-haired woman started, suddenly ripped out of her pensive state.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked, a little concerned.

"What?" She replied confused before then realized she had spaced out and smiled reassuringly. "Oh, gomen Seiya-kun, I'm fine... I'm fine."

"Mmm..." He was totally unconvinced.

They had had their lunch just right as the hunting party came back to the camp. Seiya had insisted that they consume their meal together but right after lunch the young violinist had wanted to spend some time with Hotaru. He decided to join her, after all he had no one to be with since things were still too awkward with his brothers, and besides, he thought, spending as much time as possible with Michiru could help with bringing them closer together. He wanted to be Michiru's main company again; he had already allowed Tenoh Haruka to spend way too much time with his Michiru-chan.

So he had joined Michiru and spent a whole hour with Hotaru. To his initial perplexity the little girl proved to be a smart, adorable kid, not the spoiled brat he had thought. She had greeted and accepted him quickly in her games and it had been very enjoyable watching her interacting with Michiru. It was funny watching the always composed and detached – sometimes even cold – violinist look so informal and unconstrained. It had happened only a few times before, in those rare moments when she was feeling playful.

The only flaw had been that the little girl kept referring to the aqua-haired woman as 'Michiru-mama'. He had found it awfully annoying, especially when she had started to ask about 'Haruka-papa'. In a moment of solitude Michiru had explained to him, with a slight pink shade on her cheeks, about the nicknames and it would have been reasonable not to give it too much meaning, after all it was the compensating fantasy of a traumatized child... but he wasn't able dismiss his irritation.

He had tried to tell himself it wasn't jealousy, that it would have been foolish to even think there could be any kind of competition between Haruka and him over Michiru... but no matter how much he tried to rationalize it, he continued to feel something boiling deep inside him whenever the blonde race-car driver was involved.

Dismissing those thoughts he realized Michiru had spaced out again. He fought the urge to get her attention, and instead he watched her intently. Though she was clearly tense she was as beautiful as ever, and looked like a goddess to him.

'Such perfection!' He thought and remembered thinking exactly the same thing the first time he had seen her. She was the woman he had always pictured himself with, in all his dreams. A real lady, beautiful and talented, and a perfect match for him. He had daydreamed so many times about the two of them being publicly admired, even envied... as 'the perfect couple'. He liked her company, she was always controlled and always had things under control, all of the time. 'She compensate me for those times I go too far...'

"Michiru-chan... where are you?" He asked trying to tear her out of her thoughts.

"Uh?" She asked confused by his question. Seiya chuckled softly and encircled her shoulders.

"Where are you? You seem thousands miles away..." Michiru's blue eyes lingered for a moment on the woods.

"I'm sorry Seiya, I'm being rude." She admitted with a smile that never reached her eyes.

"What's bothering you?" He asked.

Michiru looked in his eyes for a long minute. He seemed honestly concerned and she would like nothing more than being able to confide her worries to her friend, but she knew there was a particular subject he didn't like and it was exactly the one troubling her at the moment.

It didn't take a genius to realize there was some sort of rivalry between Seiya and Haruka and she couldn't honestly consider herself completely out of it. She didn't know why Seiya was so upset about her spending time with the blonde, she had even thought he was jealous but... why exactly? OK, Seiya liked her in more than a friendly or professional way, she had realized that some time ago, but she barely knew Haruka and... and... she was... a woman. On the other hand Michiru couldn't deny – at least to herself – that Haruka exerted a strange fascination upon her.

"It's..." She hesitated for a moment then, seeing his clear eyes she decided to be honest, "It's Haruka-san, she's been in the woods for hours and she's not well. The fact is I'm very worried." She looked at him intently, obviously checking his reaction so he tried to keep his cool, although he was inwardly blaming the blonde for making Michiru worry, and for being so damn attention-seeking.

"Isn't she exploring the neighborhood for Furuhata-kun?" He tried to reason.

Michiru chuckled bitterly to his surprise. "Ara, no... that was just an excuse Furuhata made up, I can tell..." As she said that Michiru realized it might have been a mistake.

"I knew it! I knew it was just an excuse!" Seiya exclaimed triumphantly.

"Seiya!" She scolded but the smug smile didn't leave his lips. "I'm serious, it's not safe out there, and you know it!" Michiru seemed very upset and Seiya decided not to jeopardize his chance to get even closer to her.

"I know... I didn't see her in the forest, but maybe Yuiichiro-san or Grandpa-san did-..."

"Rei's grandfather told me he met her and had his lunch with her. He also told me not to worry, that she'll be back soon but..."

"Good then!" He smiled at her reassuringly, "You can trust the old man, he knows what's what... and as unbelievable as it sounds, he's some kind of Rambo, I can tell you!" Then he squeezed her shoulders affectionately.

She wasn't reassured enough to relax but decided to concentrate on him for a while. Worrying about Haruka was too tiring. She smiled at him to give him the impression she was calmer.

Satisfied with her smile, he straightened up, shifted anxiously in his seat and took a deep breath.

"Michiru-chan, I have to tell you something..." He said softly but firmly.

Michiru looked at him questioningly; he seemed very serious, and a bit nervous. "I'm listening..." She said, smiling reassuringly.

"How long have we known each other?" He asked gravely.

"Almost three years, why?" She said, puzzled by the rhetorical question.

"And during all these years I've been able to get to know you. How talented, intelligent and graceful you are..."

"Oh, Seiya, you're-..." She tried to stop him, but he cut her off.

"Please Michiru-chan, don't interrupt me or I'll never be able to say it." He pleaded with her, a little embarrassed. Then he continued, "... ehm... I was saying... I was fortunate enough to play with you and see how you can enchant people with your music, and then even luckier because I got to spend time in your company." He took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly, "I wanted to tell you that you are... just perfect." As he said that she stiffened but he didn't seem to notice. "Michiru, you're the most important person in the world to me. I wanted you to know, that's all." As he finished he exhaled in relief. He had been very nervous about it.

Michiru was dumbfounded, she had always known he held an infatuation for her but she had never thought he could confess his feeling so... easily and in such a situation. On the other hand the last day's events had been quite intense, with the crash, the deaths and then the fight with his brothers. Seiya was very vulnerable right now and needed reassurance, but...

"I don't know what to say..." She answered honestly.

"You don't have to say anything, I just wanted you to know because it's what I've been feeling for a while." He held her hand tightly for another moment then let it go.

"Your words were beautiful..." She leaned forward. Seiya's heart skipped a bit watching her face getting closer and closer to his, but then he was a bit disappointed when she shifted and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "...Thank you." She whispered in his ear sending a shiver down his spine.

* * * * * * * *

Something inside her was scorching her, no matter how much water she drank. Eventually she stopped, panting. When the rippled surface was still again she looked into the pool and saw her reflection trembling slightly.

She observed her own image intently and honestly. Her face was so tense that her skin was stretched over her high cheekbones, her lips reduced to a thin line and her jaw was stiff. The sun over the past few days had tanned her usually fair skin but underneath there was an unhealthy pallor. That same sun had revealed the handful of freckles spread on her nose, her blonde mother's legacy. And her usually sand-blond hair was much paler. In all that, what caught her attention were her eyes.

She knew she was handsome, she knew that was a big part of her charm, but she also knew her eyes had always been her best weapon. More than once she'd been told her look was magnetic and she was self-confident enough to believe it. Now her eyes were bloodshot and had dark circles around them. They were no longer like a shield, behind which conceal her real self, instead they had become an open window to her tormented soul. Every feeling, every fear... every single emotion pulsing inside... it was there, for everyone to see... and it was petrifying.

'And yet there was a time when you weren't scared of feeling...' Her inner voice said.

'I'm not afraid of feeling!' She replied vehemently, her grip on the stony edge of the pool tightening.

'You're right, you're not afraid of feeling, you're just scared of people knowing you do.' That was right, she had tried it, she had tried to stop, just stop feeling... but she had found it impossible. So she tried another way. She had started to act like she didn't care, like people didn't interest her and, incredibly enough, everyone around her had bought it.

She would play with them; it was fun, but empty. She would work, compete, argue, even fight but she'd never get close... she couldn't afford that. Letting them close made her feel bare, weak... it was dangerous.

Haruka had loved her mother profoundly and she had died prematurely, abandoning her. She had also loved her grandmother and she too died before she could say good-bye. Isabel was her first love, she had sacrificed everything for her, her family, her comfy teenage life and she had been betrayed. And she had loved her father, she had admired him and when she had needed him the most, he had rejected her, and then she had ended up hating him as much as he hated her, like that matching hatred was the only way they had to still be bound together... to still be a _family_.

She looked intently in her reflection's teal eyes, they were so strange: neither green nor blue, always shifting, restless. She liked them; they were her grandmother's and her mother's too. Haruka had always felt proud whenever she was told she had her mother's eyes. It made her feel closer to her, especially since her mother had died.

Looking into the water, now, she saw a smirk growing on her face. The more she examined her own image the more she smirked. Looking at her unmistakably _western_ features, she observed - with satisfaction – she didn't resemble her father except faintly. It seemed her body had rejected his features just like he had rejected her as a daughter.

"I hope you were waiting for me..." She murmured, still looking into the water. "Do you hear me?! I hope you wished with all your dead heart to see me there!" She stood. "I hope you've pictured me crying for you, because – you know what? - I've never shed a tear for you, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" She yelled to the empty air. "I hope it hurt..." This time it was just a whisper.

Oblivious of the big gray clouds and the first raindrops, the blonde stretched out her arms in an inviting gesture.

"Come on, where are you now?" She turned around slowly, a feverishly look in her eyes, "What happened? You decided I'm not even worth being haunted by your damned ghost anymore?" Her sarcasm was followed by a bitter laugh. "Come on!"

But nothing happened, no ghosts, no voices, just the rapid dripping of the heavy drops on the foliage, although the louder noise in her ears was the roaring of her own blood rushing in her veins and her rapid heartbeat.

"I'm glad I'm here." She turned around again, still looking for him, "Yeah, I'm glad that damn plane crashed! Because it prevented me from coming to your fucking funeral!" She yelled, then fell on her knees, breathless. Her head throbbed painfully, and she closed her eyes for several minutes, trying to regain her breath.

When she lifted her head and looked up at the sky, through the thick foliage, she realized it was raining for the first time. And it was right then that she saw it.

Stuck up high in the trees there was another little section of the plane, it seemed like just part of the roof. She got closer and noticed lots of things scattered on the ground while others were hanging from the lower branches.

She didn't examine them because something had already caught her attention. It was a black case. It was inside a metal security-case that had been crashed open by the impact. She opened it to check the contents, then took off her shirt and wrapped the case in it to protect it from the rain. Then she tried to remember the sun's position the last time she had seen it and decided to head eastward – or what she presumed to be east – to where the camp was supposed to be. At least she could reach the shore and walk along it to the camp.

After a little while she noticed something red tied around a branch. It was a strip of fabric placed hopefully by Rei's grandfather to mark the traps. She looked around and she saw a rope hidden under fallen leaves. She walked carefully around it and searched for another red strip, and there it was, and then another, and another.

'Thank you Grandpa.' She smiled, following the marked path.

* * * * * * * *

As quickly as the storm had come it went away and a crimson sun returned to shine on the camp with its last rays before setting behind the forest. The mood of the scanty group of survivors was dim, the downpour had made them hope they could save some water, but by the time they found some containers the storm had ended with the sole outcome of a couple of soaked volunteers and not enough water to fill a bottle.

"Is that right, Michiru-mama?" The little girl asked, offering the creased little notebook with her childish, unsure handwriting on it.

"Michiru-mama?" She called again to the oblivious violinist who was lost deep in her thoughts.

Eventually the black-haired girl turned to Setsuna who had already raised her gaze from Tomoe's notes, noticing Michiru's impassivity.

The aqua-haired woman had been in such a state for a while, now. She kept looking at the sea, lost in her own thoughts.

"Michiru-mama isn't giving you much attention, is she?"

Hotaru shook her head firmly, "I think she's sad." The girl whispered conspiratorially.

"Really?" Setsuna mocked Hotaru's serious tone.

"I think it's that Seiya..." Hotaru admitted eliciting a smile from the tanned woman.

'Oh Seiya, why did you have to stress such an issue right now?' Michiru thought, 'You'd be just perfect... but...' Michiru shook her head sadly. She had known something like that would have happened, in fact she could not say she was at all surprised, but...

'...but you're not in love with him...' Her inner voice stated.

'...but it isn't the _right time_.' She corrected. 'We're lost, our lives are in danger, it's not the right time...' It seemed like she was trying to convince herself.

'Or maybe it isn't the right... _person_.' A shiver ran down her spine.

'Nonsense!' Her inner argument was annoying her but she didn't seem able to stop it, so she stood, hoping a walk could help her clear her head.

She hadn't gone far when she heard someone approaching from behind. She didn't want to turn, afraid it was Seiya, so she decided to ignore him, hoping he would take the hint and go away.

It didn't happen. She could tell because suddenly the cold of the evening breeze subsided; someone was shielding her. She stopped and turned around and found herself face to face with a battered-looking - but smiling - Haruka.

"Hey..." She greeted her.

Michiru was speechless, the image vision in front of her eyes was a poor one - to say the least. The blonde was in her undershirt, soaking wet, her hair plastered on her forehead, her eyes feverish and she was sickly pale. Her clothes were torn and dirty and she was trembling in the cold wind.

"Ara Haruka, look at you..." Finally Michiru whispered, caressing the blonde's cheek. Haruka frowned and Michiru thought she had seen a flash of fear pass through the blonde's eyes. "Come, you have to change your clothes." She took the taller woman's arm, but she didn't move.

"Wait." Michiru looked at her questioningly. "I... I have something for you." Only then did she notice the dirty bundle Haruka had in her hands. The blonde handed it to her, smiling. "Come on... it's for you."

Michiru frowned. The blonde's eyes were full of anticipation as she gave her the wrapped bundle with trembling hands. The musician took it uncertain, and carefully unfolded it realizing the dirty cloth was Haruka's shirt, but suddenly every other thought disappeared from her mind when she recognized what lay in her hands.

"Oh my God, Haruka..." Michiru was incredulous. She kept looking back and forth from the black case in her hands to Haruka's smiling face.

"Open it." The blonde urged gently. Michiru didn't need to be asked twice; she clicked the little lock open and slowly lifted the lid. Inside, encased in smooth blue velvet was her precious, neatly polished violin.

When the aqua-haired woman smiled Haruka's exertion and throbbing headache faded magically away. She felt like she had lived her entire life just to be there, at that exact moment, to see those ocean-blue eyes lighting up with joy. She didn't think about her fears or weaknesses, she just enjoyed the feeling of bringing happiness to another human being's heart.

Before she could figure out what was happening Haruka felt a refreshing warmness against her freezing body and two warm arms encircling her gently. When she realized Michiru was embracing her she startled and her heart started beating so hard and fast she feared the aqua-haired woman could hear it.

And Michiru did hear Haruka's heart beating at a breakneck pace when she rested her head on the tall blonde's chest. She had hugged her instinctively and she would have let go immediately if she hadn't felt the trembling subside at her touch, and the emotion shown in that fast heart-beat. Michiru felt like there wasn't a better thing to do at that moment... or a better place to be.

After a long moment the violinist reluctantly let Haruka go and, lifting on her tiptoes, she kissed the dumbfounded blonde's cheek and – for the second time that day - she found herself whispering a 'thank you' in someone's ear... even though it felt completely different.

In the distance several eyes were prying: some curious, some burning with jealousy, some smiling.

"See? Michiru-mama is a lot nicer when she's with Haruka-papa." Hotaru whispered, making Setsuna laugh softly as she caressed the smart girl's head.

* * * * * * * *

"So... no more planes flying over?" The question had no trace of sarcasm. Furuhata knew who had asked it and didn't need to turn around to answer.

"Nope..."

The camp was silent in the darkness, and the sea was so calm it almost seemed unmoving. Furuhata was contemplating the stars shining as the moon hung low on the horizon. Haruka lay beside him on the cool sand and they remained in silence for a while.

"You were right." The young technician said.

"Uh?" Haruka was confused.

"This morning, you were right, there was someone in the sea..." He explained.

"Oh, that... I know, Doctor Mizuno told me." Haruka replied somberly.

"I see..." Furuhata seemed at a loss for words and more minutes passed in silence. Then he spoke again.

"Haruka-san, I finished assembling the aerial and the boosters... we can place it tomorrow." He said without his usual enthusiasm. Haruka raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"What's the point? I thought we will be rescued anytime now?" She turned to him realizing too late the sarcasm in her words.

Furuhata looked at her sadly, "What's the point in running away on an island? ...In the end you will always end up right where you started." Haruka was surprised, he had always been docile and she wasn't expecting such a retort, especially one so wise and insightful.

"Touché..." She admitted calmly. She was too exhausted and in too good of a mood to argue.

"Have you ever felt completely abandoned? Like you were alone in the world, with nothing to live for?"

"..." The blonde didn't answered, petrified by the heavy question.

"I think..." Furuhata continued like he had never expected an answer in the first place, "...that no one should _ever_ feel completely alone. I think it's the worst feeling, loneliness... that and hopelessness." He stated. Haruka started to feel the weight of their conversation... and of that entire day. "That's why I'll never stop hoping and I'll never stop trying... because I don't want to feel like I have nothing to hope for and nothing to lose." His voice was deeper than usual, it made him sound less naïve. "Everyone deserves some faith." He concluded, looking up at the dark sky.

Haruka remembered her grandmother's words the last time she saw her. Her heart clenched; she missed her. And she missed her mother... so much that she had had to force herself to banish every thought about her, it hurt too much. And then she had become so accustomed to it that she had just stopped thinking about her mother, as though she never had one. And then she realized she had done that with her grandmother too, and even with Isabel. The only one person she had never – _never_ - stopped thinking about was her father.

She was growing anxious, she didn't want to stay and let an oblivious Furuhata remind her of her lonely, empty life. A life many used to envy, and yet she was sure at this right moment only some strange fans and greedy sponsors, worried about losing money, were missing her.

And then eventually she did what she was renowned all over the world for doing best: she ran away as fast as she could. Not literally maybe, but she ran away nonetheless, as she stood and wished Furuhata good-night.

When she got to her place for the night, she found Setsuna and Hotaru sleeping. She sat next to the little girl and caressed her head gently.

She listened to the steady, deep breathing of that innocent creature. Haruka didn't know why she was so fond of her; it was unusual, getting attached to someone like that. She always tried to keep a distance and this time she realized she was failing miserably... twice.

'Oh no Haruka, a pass for the little girl, but with her... you're gonna get hurt bad, really bad.' She thought to herself.

'Too late...' Her annoying conscience stated gloating. 'Think about how happy she-...'

"That's enough!" She hissed out loud.

Immediately she checked if she had woken Hotaru (fortunately she hadn't) then she lay down ready for the umpteenth sleepless night, oblivious of the pair of worried garnet eyes watching her.

* * * * * * * *

_The sad notes filled the air of the luxury hotel's closed bar. She had had to resort to her charms to convince the pretty hotel staff member to let her stay so late._

_It was the night of her championship celebration party, but it was long finished. She__ was __the first woman to win the Formula 1 world championship, she was a millionaire, and yet she was in an empty bar, playing joylessly, with an empty glass in front of her on the black grand piano._

_When she concluded the sonata a single clap resounded in the room, surprised she turned to see Johnny Cox sat at the counter._

_"Wow girl, you sure are full of surprises." He knew she didn't like to be called 'girl' and he used to tease her that way, anytime he got the chance. But this time his words lacked the usual sarcasm. "What was that? Some movie soundtrack?"_

_"It was Schubert, baka!" She said knowing he couldn't understand that last Japanese word, although his smirk and reply let out he had at least realized it wasn't a compliment._

_"Hey smart-ass! You're lucky I'm in a good mood, Tenoh..." He said winking and she smiled._

_They weren't close but he had always had a soft spot for the young racer, so fiery and talented. Haruka on her part had always appreciated his frankness and the fact that he treated her just like every other racer, regardless of her gender._

_"Why the good mood? Are you happy to quit, Cox?!" She asked incredulous. He had just announced his retirement, that very same day, he was almost forty and his hair was starting to turn gray._

_"Why are you so surprised?" He smiled at her skepticism. "It has to happen sooner or later... to everyone." He stressed the last word meaningfully. "Enough talking about this old man... What about the young world champion moping around all alone in an empty bar the night of her triumph?" She didn't answer, "People would wonder... You're young, rich, famous, attractive, you have lots of girls willing to keep you company and yet, you're here... with _me_. It seems weird!" She was about to protest when he stopped with a gesture of his hand, "Don't worry Tenoh, I was there years ago... I know how it feels."_

_Haruka looked at him intently, challenging him to explain._

_"Do you know why you won today and I did not?" He asked. She was perplexed but answered anyway._

_"Because I was faster ." She stated the obvious. He nodded._

_"Yeah... and why's that?" He asked again._

_"Because I had more guts than you." She smirked provocatively, as he shook his head sighing in disapproval. "What then?" She asked exasperated._

_"Well... It was because you think you have nothing to lose, while I know exactly that I have _everything_ to lose." She glanced at him confused. "I know well those like you – I was like that myself - Always running away as fast as the wind. Someone made you that way..." He paused emphatically, "and only someone can stop you."_

_Haruka stood angrily, she couldn't tolerate people trying to psychoanalyze her._

_"I know you're pissed, but I'm old enough not to care." He remained seated and calm as she walked towards him menacingly. "I like you Tenoh, you're a smart girl and a good racer – a little too arrogant, maybe - but good, and I do hope, one day, you'll find someone worth slowing down for... I did." He winked, then stood and walked to the door. When he was there he turned and added, "You do not look like the kind of person who plays piano, but you're good at it, _girl_."_

_She remained alone, shoulders slumped, her white shirt unbuttoned at her neck, looking blankly at the door, 'Such person doesn't exist, do they?'_

**End of chapter 6.**

**Author's note:** Here you go, this too is finished. I have to tell you this chapter was the funnest to write, so far. Among my friends I'm known as the cynic one, the one that laugh at romantic scene in movies, that never likes happy endings, etc etc... but clearly it's not true, deep – very deep – down, I am a romantic ;)

Let me know what you think of this story what you like and what you don't like.

Bye!

Doc C_B


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